It was going so well
by EpicThoth3
Summary: There's so much that can go wrong every day. What happens when it does? Phineas gets hit with a green ray of light. Perry runs into an old friend (by which I mean new enemy). And nobody is able to handle either. But, when fate brings these two problems together, can they handle both, as a team? Rated T because... well, I'm paranoid. I'm worried that I can't get away with K-plus.
1. Prologue

**Hi everyone! EpicThoth3 here. (There's what? Two, maybe three people out there?) Like I said in the summary, this is my first story, so bear with me. Still trying to get the hang of things. At any rate - here's the prologue. Just a teaser from one of the later chapters in this story. I know. It's short. The following chapters should be longer. I hope you enjoy! Feel free to laugh, cry, scream, and jump for joy.**

* * *

It's scary how quickly your world can turn upside-down before your very eyes.

I can't believe that less than two days ago, I was on top of the world, and now I'm... here. Trapped in a cold, dark room. And the only though spinning through my head is: _what happened?_

It was supposed to be the best day of my life. Everything was going my way, and then... no. I don't want to think about it. I've had bad dreams before, but the past few days - that was a nightmare. And the worst part is that I know I'm not going to wake up in my bed one morning, as if nothing had happened, no matter how much I wish I could. If there's one thing that I know for sure, it's that this is too real to be a dream. I am, quite literally, living a nightmare.

Looking down, I could just make out the outline of my pink bow, which I had proudly worn on top of my head all these years. Now, it lay on the ground, torn and covered in dirt - a symbol of my shattered spirit. Staring at it, I remembered those words he had said, only moments before my world changed._ I think I love you too_. Those six words meant the world to me, and still do. It's all I have to hang on to.

Taking another look at my bow, I picked it up, and gently put it back on my head, where it had been. I need to be strong now. But after all that happened, is that even possible? Is there any strength left in me?

Quietly, I lay down on the smooth, damp floor, and cried myself to sleep.

* * *

**Thanks for taking some time to read this. Hope you liked it. Please review. I want to know what you think.**


	2. A Turning Point

**Ok. I decided to post the first chapter now. Maybe this will get me two more views. Oh, I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story. Nope. Not one OC here. These characters belong to Dan, Jeff, and the rest of the Disney crew. Either way, enjoy (please?)!**

* * *

**No POV:**

_Slap!_ Phineas hit the snooze on the alarm clock, and marked another tally on the wall.

"We beat the alarm clock again, Ferb, which puts us just three days away from a new record." The last time the alarm clock had won was 77 days ago, snapping the Flynn-Fletcher boys' record of 79 straight days.

"I wonder if we can reach 100 this time, Ferb," Phineas told his brother. Their goal was to beat the alarm clock one hundred days in a row before they turned thirteen. At eleven years of age now, the boys were doing quite well.

Over breakfast, mom explained that she would be running the antique store for dad while he spent the next week looking for valuable antiques back in his home country, England.

"While I'm gone, Candace, you're in charge," she added before walking out the door.

Candace immediately ran to the backyard, where she found her brothers sitting under the tree looking through a pile of blueprints, as expected.

"Well, Ferb, it looks like today it's going to be either bumper cars or a concession stand," Candace overheard Phineas tell his brother. She decided to intervene with her usual vow to bust them, knowing all too well that by the end of the day, some Mysterious Force would make it all disappear just when mom pulled into the driveway.

"Bumper cars?! Hot dog vendors?! Gosh, you two already built a rollercoaster, a water slide, and a giant maze! The only thing missing from this amusement park is a Ferris wheel! Phineas and Ferb, you are going down. That's D-O-W-N DOWN!"

"A Ferris wheel..." Phineas mused, then his face lit up. "Ferb, I know what where going to do today!" Candace groaned and walked away. Then, right on cue, the fence gate opened.

"Whatcha doin'?" The familiar catchphrase brought a smile to Phineas' face as Isabella strolled into view.

"Ferb and I are gonna build a giant Ferris wheel, wanna help?"

"Sure!" Isabella answered, without missing a beat. _And I might get to ride it with Phineas!_ She thought to herself as she drifted off into Phineasland.

"Hey, where's Perry?"

* * *

Agent P scanned his surroundings, then stood up on two legs and donned his fedora. Next to him, a panel of the house slid open, revealing a doorway just big enough for him to slip through. Once Perry did so, the panel closed behind him, and he found himself sliding through a tube to his underground lair. He fell into his chair just as Major Monogram's image appeared on the screen.

"Good morning, Agent P. It has come to our attention that Doofenshmirtz's building seems to be tilted somewhat sideways, and that can only mean that he is up to no good. Put a stop to it. Good luck, Agent P."

Perry saluted Major Monogram as the O.W.C.A. official signed off, then turned around and headed towards his hovercraft as his theme song began playing - _A-Gent-P!_

_Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!_

Perry leaped off his hovercraft and crashed through the wall just as the evil jingle stopped playing, only to find himself held down by metal arms as a cage was lowered down on top of him.

"Ah, Perry the Platypus. How nice of you to show up." The evil scientist's voice was unmistakeable.

"You see Perry the Platypus, yesterday I was watching a documentary on the Leaning Tower of Pizza. Apparently, the building is famous because it is leaning sideways, and it attracts millions of tourists and makes billions of dollars. So I decided to tip my own building sideways, so I could do the same thing. Strangely enough, though, I haven't been getting the same results as the Leaning Tower of Pizza. So I decided to tip over EVERY BUILDING in the TRI-STATE AREA, therefore increasing my profits a thousandfold. So, behold, Perry the Platypus, the TIP-OVER-INATOR!"

As Doofenshmirtz said this, Perry noticed he was lying on top of a loose floor tile.

"All done!" exclaimed Phineas as he leaped down from the top of the Ferris wheel. It was truly an impressive sight. Standing at least as tall as Danville Mountain, the Ferris wheel had too many seats to count and a line that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"Let's crank this baby up! Ferb?"

Ferb pressed the _auto_ button, then followed Phineas to the entrance to join the line as the Ferris wheel began spinning slowly.

Isabella stepped into a compartment, and Phineas after her.

"Hey Ferb, I think there's room for one more in here," Phineas called out to his brother, but Ferb shook his head and opted to wait for the next compartment, knowing Isabella would love the time alone with Phineas.

As Phineas and Isabella were leaving, Ferb gave the girl a wink, and Isabella returned the gesture with a thumbs-up as Ferb stepped into the next compartment, followed almost too eagerly by Gretchen.

* * *

**Isabella's POV:**

The view from the top of the Ferris wheel took my breath away. You could see all of Danville, from the giant mountain at one end to the big purple building at the other.

"Hey!" Phineas joked, "you can see the end of the line from here!" I agreed, but I had more planned then just a simple ride with a scenic view. Courtesy of Ferb, I had another chance to tell Phineas how much I loved him, and I wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

Sliding closer to Phineas, I sighed. "Oh, Phineas," I began, and was shocked to hear him reply, "Yes, Isabella?"

That meant I had his attention, which was rare from the oblivious Phineas, and made me feel special knowing he was looking at me instead of the view. So I went all in.

"Isn't this so...(This is it! Moment of truth!)... romantic?" I asked, but that last word was drowned out by Phineas, who, in my hesitation, decided to finish my sentence for me.

Instead of romantic, Phineas had said amazing. Captain Oblivious had missed yet another hint. Dismayed, I tried to cover myself up and go with his story.

"Yeah! Amazing!" I continued. "You can see all of Danville from here, and the view is amazing! This was really awesome, Phineas! Thanks!"

"Anytime," came the reply.

* * *

**No POV:**

Using his tail, Perry grabbed hold of the loose tile and flung it at the machine. A direct hit! The tile had hit the random fire button, and the tip-over-inator began shooting green beams all over the place. One beam hit Perry's trap, which tilted sideways, allowing Perry to escape and attack Doofenshmirtz. The evil scientist didn't react quickly enough, and cried in alarm.

"What?! Perry the Platypus! how did you escape?! Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore because you are too late!" A quick glance at the inator confirmed Doofenshmirtz was right - the machine was firing beams off the balcony at random.  
Perry had to act quickly. After giving Doofenshmirtz another quick blow to the face, he dashed to the inator and pushed it over the edge of the balcony. He then jumped over the side, hearing Doofenshmirtz scream, "Curse you Perry the Platypus!"

He smiled as he activated his parachute. Another mission complete.

* * *

"Wow Phineas that was so much fun! Can we do it again?" said the last group as they got off the Ferris wheel.

"Sorry, only one ride per customer." Phineas replied. "I hope it was worth it."

"Totally!" agreed the couple, but Isabella only humphed. Another wasted opportunity. When would Phineas ever stop being so oblivious?

A sudden noise caused the group to turn around, as a green ray hit the Ferris wheel, causing it to tilt onto its side and roll away.

"See, mom, see?" Candace triumphantly gestured to the empty backyard.

"No, Candace, I don't see," came the cliché reply.

"What?!" Candace turned and saw the empty backyard. "What?! No! It can't be! Not again! Ugh..." Candace stomped away to her room in defeat.

"Oh, there you are Perry!" said Isabella, noticing the monotreme's reappearance. Everyone laughed, and walked inside for some pie, but Phineas had something else on his mind.

_Had Isabella said romantic?_

* * *

**Well, did you like it? At least let me know. I have a right to know whether you liked it or not, so please review. Next chapter should be up shortly.**


	3. Love At Long Last

**Wow. Just wow. I was not expecting this response for my first story. And after not even half a day. Thanks for the positive support, and constructive criticism. It fills me with joy knowing that the readers are enjoying this. Here is the next chapter (I have quite a few written out already - I just need to post them).**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Phineas and Ferb. Did you really think I might?**

* * *

**Phineas' POV:**

At the top of the Ferris wheel that day, Isabella had definitely said that the experience was so... something. I'm certain I heard romantic, but Isabella seemed to wholeheartedly agree with amazing, which was the word I'd blurted out in her hesitation. But I definitely heard her say romantic, I'm sure of it. What does it mean? I shouldn't have said anything. I found it impossible to concentrate the rest of the ride, and I wasn't even the first to notice Perry's reappearance!

Throughout the rest of the day, I couldn't shake that word from my mind. I have no idea why. I have to talk with Ferb about this. I could've sworn I saw him wink at Isabella at the start of the ride. He'll know.

* * *

**No POV:**

Phineas couldn't get to sleep that night. He couldn't shake the idea that Isabella had said romantic. He had to, at the very least, speak to Ferb about it. "Ferb?" he asked, turning to face his brother, "you awake?" The boy turned his head towards Phineas and nodded.

"Something happened today... on the Ferris wheel." Ferb nodded, as if asking Phineas to continue, so he did. "When we were at the top, Isabella slid over, so she was right next to me and... then she said that this experience was so... I swear she said romantic, but I tried to finish her sentence for her and said amazing, and she continued talking as if she had said amazing too. But I swear I heard her say romantic."

"She probably did," Ferb answered.

The expression on Phineas' face after Ferb said that told all. Everything hit him at once, as Phineas realized something that now seemed impossible to miss, yet somehow... he had missed all of it, for years.

_This is not the Phineas Flynn I fell in... to this situation with.  
And there's that tradition of kissing someone at midnight.  
I think I'm the cute interference.  
You had me at our grandchildren.  
Did you hear that? Aunt Isabella!  
I do, Phineas._

Phineas was at a loss for words. "Does this mean-"

Ferb nodded.

"And that-"

Ferb nodded again.

"And-"

Ferb nodded for a third time.

"Isabella-"

Ferb nodded yet again.

Finally, Phineas managed a complete sentence. "How... How long has this been going on?" Ferb simply replied, "since the day she met you."

"And I never once noticed?"

Ferb shook his head in agreement.

"Wait, so Isabella, loves me? I mean, I know we're best friends and all, and she's a really good friend, but does she... you know, _like_ like me?!" This was extremely nerve-racking for Phineas. It was all so obvious now - Isabella wanted to be his girlfriend. Phineas couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before.

"Isabella... _loves_ me," Phineas exhaled, finally accepting the truth. There wasn't any other explanation.

Isabella loved him. It was as simple as that. Those three words, three words which Phineas had never come up with in the six years that he had known Isabella, changed so much. "Do I..." Phineas was talking to himself now. "Do I... _like_ like her, too?" He didn't know. _I'll talk to Isabella tomorrow_, he finally decided, and went to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Phineas woke up even earlier than usual. Hitting the snooze button on the alarm, Phineas marked another tally under us. "That makes 78 days Ferb," he told his brother, "two more until a new record." Going downstairs, Phineas ate his breakfast quickly, then started the walk over to Isabella's house across the street. He had to talk to her in private, and what better time than now, before he revealed his next Big Idea?

Ding-Dong! The sound of the doorbell resonated throughout the Garcia-Shapiro residence. "I got it!" Isabella told her mother, opening the door. What she saw was not what she expected.

"Hey Isabella," Phineas said. Isabella jumped, seeing Phineas at her door. Right now he was usually under the tree in his backyard with Ferb, wondering what he was going to do today. Isabella had been about to walk over.

"Whatcha doin'?" Phineas joked, but Isabella didn't mind as much when Phineas said it. She thought it was cute.

"I was about to go over to your house," the Fireside girl replied. "What brings you here?"

"I'd like to talk with you, if you don't mind," Phineas answered. "In private."

Isabella saw the nervousness in his voice. "Uhh... sure!" she answered, wondering what Phineas could possibly have to talk about with her. Especially in private. "Come in."

* * *

The two sat down in Isabella's bedroom. "You wanted to say something?" Isabella prompted, more than a little curious.

"Yesterday, on the Ferris wheel, did you say that the ride was... _romantic_?"

Isabella's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Phineas had noticed she had a crush on him! She began to wander off into Phineasland again.

"Isabella?" Phineas' voice brought the girl back to reality. "Did you say romantic? On the Ferris wheel?" Phineas wanted an answer, but Isabella couldn't think of an appropriate one.

"I... said that I loved the view," Isabella finally managed, dodging the question, but Phineas caught on. "That's not what I asked you. Did you say romantic? Yes or no."

_This is it_, Isabella thought. No wriggling out of this one. "Yes," the girl admitted.

"I knew it!" Phineas said to himself, then, turning back to Isabella, he continued speaking. "And another thing. I just want to be sure." The awkwardness in Phineas' voice was unmistakeable. "Does this mean you... _love_ me?"

Isabella was more than a little nervous with this conversation. "You're my best friend," she replied.

"I know that, but do you... you know, _like _like me?" Phineas was as nervous about this as Isabella, but he knew he had to have this conversation. It took far too long for him to realize it, but this was going to happen one day.

"How did you find out?" Isabella replied quietly. She had been hoping for the longest time that something like this would happen, but now that that day was here, Isabella wasn't sure if she was ready.

"I couldn't sleep last night," Phineas explained, "I heard you say romantic, on the Ferris wheel, and I couldn't get that thought out of my head. I asked Ferb about it, and then it all hit me. Everything you said, over the last six years. And everything I missed."

"Just like that? All at once?"

"Yep. It was as if a metaphorical sledgehammer hit me on the head."

Isabella couldn't believe this was happening! Phineas was confessing his feelings to her! "Yes Phineas, I do love you," she just managed to squeak out those words.

"I... I think I love you too, Isabella," Phineas said.

Isabella just sat there, waiting for Phineas to turn into a centaur, and pull her up onto his back, where they would ride off into the sunset (or sunrise, in this case), and live happily ever after.

"Isabella?"

"You're a centaur." Isabella stated.

"That's crazy!" Phineas said. "Why would you say that?"

Isabella blinked. This was... _real_! This is really happening!

"Although," Phineas added, his mind buzzing with ideas, "if you really want me to be a centaur, I think I can-" his sentence was cut off by a scream.

"Isabella! Are you alright?" Phineas said, alarmed.

"It's okay, Phineas. I'm fine. It's just.. I've waited six years for this moment, and now it's finally happening. You have no idea how happy I am."

"Six years?" Phineas cried. "Man, I must be oblivious! Let me make it up to you. Isabella, I know what we're going to do today!"

* * *

**I hope you all like this chapter. Please read and review. Was this chapter good? Was anyone too OOC? Did you not like it much? How can I make it better? I want to know. Please review. Thanks**


	4. The City of Love?

**Welcome back, you few readers brave enough to read this story (let's be honest - it's not really that good). Here's the next chapter. But first, a disclaimer - if I owned Phineas and Ferb, I wouldn't be writing here. Would you?**

**Second, I decided to include songs in this story. Most chapters from one re on out should have one. Each song I use will be based on a song I've heard, but partially rewritten to fit the story more accurately. Those of you who can guess the song correctly can give themselves a pat in the back ****(this one should be a no-brainer).**

******Now, with all the formalities out of the way, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

**Phineas' POV:**

It all worked out, I guess. We talked, and sure, the conversation was awkward (what was that centaur nonsense about?), but now Isabella is my girlfriend, and I her boyfriend. Now I have to make it up to her, for all those times I didn't see her.

Like in Paris, when I was so focused on fixing the plane I didn't even acknowledge her presence. I didn't even see that we were, you know, a boy, a girl, alone in the City of Love, and that romance could've been a foregone conclusion. Or in the haunted house. For her, it was scary when I fell, but she felt much safer with me by her side. Or for her birthday, when all she wanted was time alone with me, but I prepared her a huge party with all our friends. I have to make it up to her. Luckily, I have just the thing in mind. I'll surprise Isabella with it.

Walking into my backyard, I found Buford and Baljeet waiting for me, along with Ferb.

"I'm glad to see you two together at last," remarked Baljeet. I have to say, this shocked me.

"How did you know?!" Isabella asked, making it clear that she was just as surprised as me.

"Ferb? Did you tell them?" I asked my brother, but he just shook his head.

"Let's just say that a little birdie whispered in our ears that two of our friends were going on a date. End of conversation," said Buford, making it clear that Isabella and I weren't going to figure out how they knew. It doesn't matter, I guess. I have more important things on my mind.

"Alright gang, let's get to work," I said.

"Wait, but you haven't even told us what we're doing today!" Isabella pointed out.

"That's cause it's a surprise," I explained, "at least, for you." I snapped my fingers. "Buford? Just be more humane than the sack this time."

Isabella just walked off, mumbling something about a surprise for me, too. Then I noticed.

"Hey, where's Perry?"

* * *

**No POV:**

As it happened, the platypus was sleeping in bed when the ground opened up under him. In midair, Agent P put on his fedora, did a triple front flip followed by a three-point landing in his chair. Major Monogram and Carl's familiar faces flashed onto the screen, both of which were holding a ten above their heads.

"Excellent landing, Agent P," Monogram commented, then continued with the briefing. "We have reason to believe that Doofenshmirtz is up to no good. Put a stop to it."

_That was a short briefing,_ Perry thought to himself, saluting Major Monogram as the screen went black, and helicopter blades rose out of his chair, flying him to the familiar purple building.

_Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!_  
Kicking down the door, the semi-aquatic mammal found Doofenshmirtz standing in the middle if his balcony next to a big tarp, under which he assumed the scientist's latest inator was.

"Ah, Perry the Platypus," Doofenshmirtz said, acknowledging the monotreme's appearance, "are you here to beat me up again?"

Perry decided this wasn't a bad idea, and leaped at Doofenshmirtz, only to be stopped inches from his face.

"Do you like it, Perry the Platypus? It's a time freeze beam." He gestured at the ground to reveal a strange device shooting what seemed to be air upwards. "It freezes anything between it and the ceiling in time. Now, onto the backstory."

"You see, Perry the Platypus, my brother Roger is hosting a big event at City Hall today, but he's not telling anyone what it is. I know he's thinking that if I don't know what it is, I won't be able to mess it up, but he's WRONG! WRONG I tell you! Perry the Platypus, I present you with," Doofenshmirtz pulled the tarp off his invention with a flourish, "the GO-WRONG-INATOR!"

"With this bad boy, I can shoot Roger's little event and ruin it, no matter what it is! Then it's just a matter of time before I am the supreme leader of the Tri-State Area!"

Perry had to do something to stop Doofenshmirtz. If only he could move. Then he noticed. His tail was not caught in the time freeze ray.

Reaching down with his tail, Perry *just* managed to press the off button on the time freeze ray. After another triple from flip and three-point landing, the O.W.C.A. agent leaped at Doofenshmirtz, knocking him into the Go-Wrong-Inator, causing the evil device to spin around and shoot a beam of light at Doofenshmirtz's Switch-Place-Inator, which happened to be lying on top of the Other-Dimension-Inator.

The beam hit both of the evil scientist's inventions, and the Switch-Place-Inator fired one of its lasers at Doofenshmirtz, hitting the evil scientist, and the other laser through the recently activated Other-Dimension Inator, shortly before the two of them self-destructed.

Doofenshmirtz could only watch as Agent P started shoving the Go-Wrong-Inator towards the edge of the balcony.

"Well that was over quickly," the evil scientist noted, before throwing in his catchphrase. "Curse you Perry the Platypus!"

Not a minute later, Doofenshmirtz vanished into thin air.

With one last shove, Perry pushed the Go-Wrong-Inator over the edge of the balcony, then jumped off the edge. Activating his parachute, Perry noticed that the inator had fired one last beam of light.

Following the path of the beam, Perry's eyes widened in horror as he saw where it was headed, but not even the magnificent monotreme could do anything about what happened next.

* * *

Back on Maple Drive, Isabella was glad she had earned the handicrafts patch. Now, in her pocket was a bracelet for Phineas. Sure, it wasn't much compared to the rollercoaster or the Ferris wheel or the haunted house, but Isabella didn't have an imagination as good as Phineas', or building skills to match those of Ferb. Still, it took her all morning to make this bracelet for Phineas. Flawless, and made entirely out of silver, she had also taken the time to engrave two phrases onto the bracelet.

One phrase was _Carpe Diem_. Seize the day. Isabella had never seen anyone live up to those two words better than Phineas. Every single day, Isabella would walk into his backyard to find him making a reality what was beyond most other kids' wildest dreams. Those two words were also what had driven Isabella to try time after time to get Phineas to fall in love with her. That was how she seized the day. The bracelet was her way of saying thank you.

The other phrase summed that up quite simply: _Thank you for falling in love with me_. It was her own words, and they meant the world to Isabella. She hoped they would mean at least as much to Phineas.

Walking back across the street, she was surprised to see the backyard empty, except for Phineas, Ferb, Baljeet, Buford, and a small tarp.

_Huh_, thought Isabella to herself. _I was expecting something a bit bigger from Phineas._

"Hey Isabella!" said Phineas, noticing the Fireside Girl's reappearance. "You came back just in time. I just finished! You're gonna love it!" With a flourish, the boy eagerly pulled off the tarp to reveal... a bike helmet? Isabella stared at it blankly.

"That's my present? A bike helmet?" she asked in disbelief. It wasn't that she hated it or anything, she just expected more from the boy who built a rollercoaster. Twice.

"Don't be silly," said Phineas, putting the helmet on. "That's way below my usual standard. This is for you."

He pushed a button on the helmet, and in the blink of an eye, Isabella found herself surrounded by buildings.

"Do you like it?" Phineas asked.

"Where are we?"

"Oh come on, Isabella. You mean to tell me you don't recognize the City of Love?"

"What?! We're in Paris?!" Isabella asked, stunned.

"Well, not officially," replied Phineas. "I call the helmet a dream machine. By pushing this button, the helmet makes whatever I think of come to life. So I thought of Paris, and, _voila_, here we are. The City of Love in my own backyard."

Phineas extended his hand towards Isabella. "Shall we make up for lost time?"

Isabella smiled. Now _this_ was more up to Phineas' standards.

Taking his hand, Isabella noticed a familiar tune begin to play from no discernible music source. Picking up the beat, she began singing.

_We could share a crêpe sucrée  
At this Parisian café_

Phineas stopped in his tracks. "Wait, you sang this last time? I thought it was, you know, the radio, or something like that!" Isabella just continued singing.

_Take a break and smell these flowers  
Underneath the Eiffel Tower_

After getting over his initial shock, Phineas conceded. "You know what, you're right. I need to relax."

_Won't you share a crème brûlée with me?_

"Sounds great! Good thing I brought my euros!"

_How perfect could this be?  
In the City of Love  
In the City of Love_

_We could try some fancy cheese  
Or peruse the galleries_

"Wow. I never really noticed how amazing these paintings are!"

_Isn't this a perfect day?  
How do I look in this beret?_

_At least this time he feels the same way  
When we're strolling down the Champs-Élysées  
In the City of Love_

_Unlike last time we can stroll through Paris holding hands  
I'm so glad this time 'round Phineas understands  
We're in the City of Love  
We're in the City of Love_  
_We're in the City of Love..._

* * *

Isabella was just about to show Phineas the bracelet she had made him when a beam of light hit the dream machine on his head.

* * *

**MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Cliffhanger! I feel so evil. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Please (I'm begging you) read and review. I want to know how I'm doing. Anyways, review responses (there aren't many, but I feel obliged to say something to you few - these reviews mean so much to me)**

**Ayahsad167****: thanks for the suggestions. Do you think this is better?**

**Sabrina06****: hope these chapters haven't disappointed.**

**PnFbiggestfan****: Does this meet your expectations? Because it gets worse. ****_Much_**** worse. You have been warned.**


	5. A Turn For The Worse

**I have to say, this story is turning out quite well, compared to what I had in mind. Thanks for all the positive feedback! Without your support I wouldn't know where to go. Oh, and the song I used in the last chapter was, to nobody's surprise, based off the City of Love song (summer belongs to you). Don't worry, the song in this chapter is less familiar, though. It still should be easy to guess. Speaking of which, here's the next chapter. You will almost certainly hate me for this one. Trust me, things happen here that you almost certainly won't have seen coming.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb. It's as simple as that.**

* * *

**No POV:**  
For a second, the world seemed to stop. Then the dream machine exploded, knocking Phineas out. Paris disappeared, leaving Isabella alone with an unconscious Phineas. Ferb, Baljeet, and Buford were at the other end of the backyard, where the Eiffel Tower used to be.

* * *

"See mom? _Paris_. In _our_ backyard." Candace's voice broke the silence as she dragged her mom into the backyard.

Her mom gasped. "Phineas!" she screamed, running over to the unconscious boy.

"Wait, you can see it?!" Candace asked in disbelief. Then she did a fist pump. "Yes!" she screamed, and began her victory dance.

"Busted my brothers! Busted my bro-" she turned to see the backyard for the first time. "Oh, no." She couldn't have felt worse if you hit her with a sledgehammer.

Once Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher drove off to the emergency room with Phineas, Candace turned to the others, who were still standing, stunned.

"What happened?"

"I.. don't know," replied Isabella, fighting back tears. "It all happened so fast. The... there was a beam of light, and it hit Phineas on the head, and everything exploded, and..." Isabella couldn't hold back the tears any longer. The girl bust into tears. Ferb walked over and put his arm around her shoulder.

"I know how you feel," the British boy said, also trying hard not to cry. "He's my brother, too."

Clutching the bracelet tightly in her hand, Isabella walked glumly back to her house.

* * *

**Isabella's POV:**

The next morning, I had one thing and one thing only in mind: _Phineas_. What happened? Is he okay? Is he awake? Is he even alive? I didn't know. I had to find out. My one goal for the day was simply to visit him in the hospital. Walking downstairs, that's exactly what I asked my mom.

"Mom? Can I go see Phineas in the hospital today? Like right now?"

"But Isa, it's still early in the morning."

"Please, mom? Please?"

"In an hour, Isa."

"Can we go now, mom? I really need to see him."

"Why?"

"Because... he's my boyfriend." I actually hadn't yet told my mom that we were together. To hear it like this _definitely_ shocked her. She took a deep breath.

"When did this happen?" she asked.

"Yesterday morning," I replied. "Remember when I answered the door? That was him."

It took a long time for my mom to say anything. Too long.

"I see..." she finally said. "Ok, Isa, get in the car."

* * *

Walking into the waiting room, I was surprised to see Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher, Candace, Ferb, Buford, Baljeet, Irving, and my Fireside Girl troop already there.

"What took you so long?" asked Buford, upon my arrival. "It's 7:30 in the morning."

"Yeah," Irving echoed. "I've been here since 2 a.m."

"It doesn't matter," I said. "How's Phineas?"

"Still unconscious," answered Candace. "They think he might be in a coma."

"A coma?!"

"Don't worry, Isabella. I don't believe them for a minute. He'll wake up."

I knew Candace was just trying to cheer me up. I could hear it in her voice that she was afraid that the doctor was right. I was, too.

"Can I at least see him?" I asked weakly.

"They're not allowing any visitors in right now," replied Candace. "The best we can do right now is just sit out here and wait."

I started to cry, and Candace put her arm around my shoulder.

"It's okay, Isabella. We all feel the same way," she said reassuringly, guiding me to my seat.

To pass the time, I decided to begin singing. Everyone quickly joined in.

* * *

_We're watchin' and we're waitin',  
On the edge of our seats, anticipatin'  
It's looking awful horrible,  
But we know that he's gonna wake up_

_Now just behind that door our best friend's in a spot  
'Cause one moment he's asleep but then the next maybe not  
For now he's unconscious in a cold, metal cot  
So we're watchin' and we're waitin'..._

_We're sittin' doin' nothin'; we're bored out of our minds  
But our friend is in the other room, behind the closed blinds  
So don't even think about blinking; you might miss him wake up..._

_So we're watchin' and waitin'  
So we're watchin' and waitin'  
Yeah we're watchin' and waitin'  
We're watchin'..._

* * *

**No POV:**

Ten hours. That's how long Isabella waited to see Phineas. And every single second of it was torture for her, but she wouldn't have moved from her seat in the waiting room for anything. For all she cared, the hospital could burn to the ground, and she wouldn't have budged.

Finally, after Isabella's third or fourth nap (to pass the time - she made Candace promise to wake her up if they could go see Phineas), a doctor walked into the waiting room.

"Is anyone here to see Phineas Flynn?" he asked.

Everyone in the waiting room stood up, prepared for the worst.

"He's awake, but-" Everyone in the waiting room was through the door before the doctor could finish his sentence. Well, everyone except Perry. His watch had started blinking, so the secret agent was in his lair, awaiting a briefing from Major Monogram.

"We're sorry to disturb you, Agent P," Major Monogram began. "We know that you're grieving for one of your owners, but it's Doofenshmirtz again. Ever since you foiled his last evil plan, we've had no intel whatsoever on his whereabouts. Even our best spies have failed to return with any information. Actually, they've failed to return at all. The most we can do is assume that Doofenshmirtz is in his apartment, up to something evil. Go see what it's all about, and put a stop to it. Good luck, Agent P."

Perry saluted halfheartedly, then walked over to his hovercraft and began the flight to Doofenshmirtz's building.

_Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!_  
Pushing up a floor tile, Perry silently crawled into Doofenshmirtz's evil lair. The secret agent then climbed the walls to the ceiling, where he inched out on top of a light fixture. From there he could see the entire apartment. And he hadn't yet been noticed. So far, so good.

Scanning the building, Perry didn't see anything that looked like an inator, or even part of one. But he did see a cage. At first, Perry assumed that the cage was for him, but another look told him that the cage was too big for a platypus. This cage was human-sized. Perry couldn't see whether or not anything was in the cage, however. Doofenshmirtz was blocking the view.

"You are too late!" the evil scientist was saying. "Soon, I will know where all my enemies are, so I can capture them and eliminate them, and after that, I'll be just a hop, skip, and jump away from being the unopposed ruler of the TRI-STATE-AREA!" Perry assumed Doofenshmirtz was rehearsing the backstory for his next inator. But what happened next completely blew him away.

"You're crazy!" A voice replied, undoubtedly from inside the cage, but what shocked Agent P more than the fact that there was someone other than himself was trapped in the cage was the fact that he recognized the voice.

"Crazy, or evil?" Said Doofenshmirtz, turning around and walking away. The already stunned Perry then saw something that hurt him as much as a sledgehammer might. Something that caused him to run back to his lair.

It wasn't seeing a half-finished inator behind the cage. It wasn't the fact that Stacey Hirano was the person inside the cage. It was the eyepatch over Doofenshmirtz's left eye.

* * *

Candace was the first to see Phineas again. Right behind her were Ferb and Isabella.

"Phineas?" Candace asked worriedly.

"Candace?" Phineas replied, puzzled. "Is that you?"

Now Candace was confused. "Of course it's me. Why?"

"You look... older." Phineas stated.

"And another thing, Candace." Phineas added, nodding towards Ferb and Isabella, who he had just noticed. "Who are they?"

* * *

**Wow. I feel really evil now. A ton of problems in the blink of an eye. Just couldn't resist ending the chapter there. Hope you liked it (even if you're mad at me for this chapter).**

**Anyways, review responses. Thank you all so much for taking thirty seconds of your life to write one.**

**Thedoraemons7****: glad you like it. You still do, right? Even after this?**

**Fireblade1997****: yeah, it's a good read until the last sentence. I can only imagine your reaction to this chapter.**

**PnFbiggestfan****: we all hate waiting and worrying, don't we. Even makes me want to write a song about it (see above)**

**Crystal1010 (guest):**** thanks for the support.**

**Once again, thanks to all of you who reviewed this story. I don't know where I'd be without your support. Please continue to read and review.**


	6. Horrible Realizations

**I do like cliffhangers, don't I? Don't worry, the last few chapters are pretty much the worst cliffhangers of the story. Just saw Mission Marvel, btw. I thought it was pretty good, but am I the only one who thought a few people were slightly OOC (Phineas and Isabella, specifically)? Also, I updated and rewrote parts of the previous chapters so that it would be easier to read and understand (I swear, I hadn't seen We Call It Maze when I posted A Turning Point. What a coincidence, huh?). The song from the last chapter was based off of the watchin' waitin' song (from the episode Don't Even Blink). I don't own Phineas and Ferb. Am I changing topics a lot? What color is my hair? How are you doing? Will you enjoy the next chapter? Am I asking too many questions? At any rate, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

**No POV:**

"Who are they?"

The words rang fresh in everyone's ears, taking any energy and excitement that was in the room and throwing it out the window. It took a minute for everyone to register what Phineas had just said. Candace was the first to think of anything to break the silence.

"What do you mean, who are they?" she screamed in disbelief.

"I mean, who are they?" Phineas answered, unusually calmly. "The two people over there."

Another minute passed before Candace found something more to say. "Ferb and Isabella!"

"Who?"

"Phineas!" Candace screamed. "These two people are Ferb and Isabella! Your brother and your best-"

"-girlfriend," Isabella finished, her eyes tearing. She hadn't yet told Candace, either. Walking up to Phineas, Isabella reached into her pocket and put the bracelet she had made in his hand.

"You can't forget, Phineas. Please," Isabella kneeled down, crying, and put her head on Phineas' shoulder. Phineas was surprised at this, but the boy was too nice to push her head off.

Taking a closer look at the bracelet, Phineas noticed the words Isabella had engraved on there.

"Carpe diem," he said aloud. "I think that means seize the day. I like the sound of that. But this other phrase..."

Just then, the doctor walked in.

"As I was going to say, before I was trampled by all of you," the doctor pointed a finger at Isabella, Ferb, and Candace accusingly, then continued. "Phineas is awake, but he has lost at least the last eight years of his memory."

The words hit Isabella like a sledgehammer. Looking at Ferb, she knew the words had affected the green-haired boy in much the same way. Those words confirmed what he and Isabella already knew to be true. They just wouldn't admit it to themselves.

Unable to handle it any longer, Isabella walked out of the room, crying. Ferb and Candace walked out right behind her, just as heartbroken.

* * *

"How is he?" Irving asked hopefully, seeing Isabella walk out, sniffling.

"Maybe... Maybe your pictures can help him." Isabella replied, before breaking out into tears and running out of the room, leaving Irving standing there, confused, as Ferb and Candace walked out.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"It's Phineas." Candace answered. "He can't remember. Anything."

More than anything, Candace didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, but someone had to say something to the crowd waiting to see Phineas. "You should just go, before you're as sad as Isabella."

That cleared the waiting room of the Fireside Girls, who were more concerned about their troop leader than her boyfriend.

Baljeet, Buford, Irving, and Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher remained.

"Nothing?" asked Candace's mom, shocked. "None of... them." Candace replied, gesturing to the younger boys.

"He probably remembers you. He feels as if he's been asleep for eight years, not twenty-eight hours."

With that last comment, Ferb, Buford, Baljeet, and Irving walked out of the room, even sadder than they ever were before.

* * *

"Agent P, what brings you back here so quickly?" Major Monogram asked, surprised to see his top agent back in his lair. Perry held up a picture of Doofenshmirtz.

"Doofenshmirtz? What could he possibly be up to that you can't stop?"

Perry covered the left eye on the photo.

Major Monogram gasped. "Doofenshmirtz lost an eye?" Agent P shook his head and held up a toy train.

"A toy train stole Doofenshmirtz's eye? Agent P, that is absolutely crazy!" The platypus sighed, and showed Major Monogram a picture of a Normbot.

"Sir," Carl stepped in. "I think Agent P is trying to say that the Doofenshmirtz from the other-"

"Quiet, Carl! Agent P is trying to tell me something."

"I know, sir. I think he's saying that the second-"

"Carl! I said quiet!"

"Yes, sir."

Turning his attention back to Perry, Major Monogram noticed the Normbot photo, and gasped again. "Agent P! Do you mean to say that the Doofenshmirtz from the second dimension is here, and up to no good?"

The platypus nodded, saluted, and walked away, before Major Monogram could continue speaking. He needed time to see how Phineas was doing.

* * *

**Phineas' POV:**

Amnesia. That would explain a lot. Candace's age, the green-haired boy and that cute girl with the bow on her head, my waking up in a hospital bed. I didn't ask for this. At least, I'm pretty sure I didn't.

On the bright side, there wasn't any other serious damage to me, so I was back home within the hour. It's a good thing that mom's taco recipe hasn't changed in eight years. I do love those tacos.

Sitting down at the dinner table, I was a bit surprised to see that green-haired boy - Ferb, I've been told (I wonder what that's short for) - eating dinner with mom and Candace, but apparently he's my stepbrother, and my stepdad is in England. It was even weirder when he got into the bed next to mine. One of the things I'll just have to get used to again, I guess.

Just then, a platypus hopped up on my bed and curled up in my lap, shocking me a bit. Ferb looked at me expectantly, as if I was supposed to do something now.

"What?" I asked. Ferb sighed, and I was taken aback somewhat by his British accent when he spoke to me for the first time.

"Oh there you are, Perry." he said, looking at me hopefully. "Remember?"

I shook my head, then asked the question that was on my mind. "Is this our platypus?"

My stepbrother nodded. "We have a pet platypus?"

My stepbrother nodded again. "We were going to name him Bartholomew, but we liked Perry better."

My life was getting weirder by the second. First my stepbrother has green hair, then it turns out he also has a British accent, and now I have a pet platypus. I couldn't decide if this was cool or strange. What I did decide, at least for the moment, was that the best thing to do right now was get some sleep.

Even if I had only been awake for three hours.

* * *

**I know what you're thinking. Praise the Lord! No cliffhanger! Come on, I'm not that mean. I hope you liked the chapter. I know, not much excitement, but I want to give some time for these events to sink in. Anyways, review responses.**

**Sabrina06****: No cliffhanger this time. You're welcome.**

**Phineasrules69****: Glad to see you like it.**

**Guest****: Right on the money. As much as I'd love to explain right now, your questions, and anyone else's, will be answered eventually, as part of the story (I'm looking at four chapters or so - hopefully no more than two weeks). If you reread the updated chapters, though, you might be able to figure it out. I've given you a few hints.**

**Phinbella16****: I hope this wasn't anticlimatic (it probably was, but oh, well. More action in two chapters or so).**

**And that's that! Once again, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Once again, please read and review. And, once again, thanks!**


	7. Stepbrothers and Girlfriends

**I'm sorry I made you wait so long (hey - at least it wasn't months), but school is getting back under way, so it may take longer to update from here on out. Sorry if I keep you waiting. No song in the last chapter, couldn't think of one. If you have any ideas, let me know via review, and I may or may not use it. I do not own Phineas and Ferb. Enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**No POV:**

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The sound of the alarm clock woke Phineas up the next morning. Turning it off, Phineas noticed a chart on the wall. One side read us, and the other, alarm clock. Even though Phineas could guess what that was all about, he decided not to make a other tally, opting instead to sit on his bed and think about what happened.

The eleven year old boy was unusually optimistic about getting amnesia. It gave him another chance to do what he wanted with his life. He didn't think a green-haired stepbrother and a pet platypus fit into his fantasy. It's not like he had anything against them, he just figured his life would be something more by now.

Walking downstairs, he found Ferb already sitting at the kitchen table, along with Candace and their mom.

"Did the sleep help you remember?" Linda asked .

"No," Phineas replied, somewhat downcast. Despite his inexplicable optimism on the matter, he couldn't help but wonder what the life he had was. It sure would be nice to know if a British kid and an Australian mammal _was_ the something more he had envisioned many times as a three year old. He couldn't decide if he'd rather have his old life or a new one.

Finishing his breakfast silently, Phineas wandered out into the backyard.

"Wow," he said to himself, staring in amazement. "The tree is still here."

He was finding out new things with every passing second. Walking over to the tree, Phineas sat down underneath it. He had a lot to think about, and wanted to try and clear his head.

* * *

**Isabella's POV:**

When I woke up the morning after seeing Phineas in the hospital, I had three words on my mind. _What just happened?_

Did Phineas really lose all his memories? Did he really ask me who I was? Yesterday was a nightmare. I can't believe it actually happened.

Six years, I tried. Six years, I waited for him to love me. And it didn't even last six hours. It was just too horrible to believe. Fate would never play such a cruel joke. Would it?

I knew all too well that it just did.

The rest of the Fireside Girls came over last night to try and help me through this ordeal. They tried to comfort me, saying things like we know how you feel. How could anyone know how I feel? Six years, I had harbored a crush on him, and now, he doesn't even know my name. Nobody could understand how I felt, seeing Phineas, the man who I love, ask who I was. I doubted even Ferb would understand.

My troop, however, did convince me of one thing. That I shouldn't give up. Phineas has to remember eventually, right? So it's either incredibly brave of me, or incredibly foolish, to walk over to his house today.

I decided to go with brave, so I put on as cheery a look as I could manage in this situation, and pushed open the fence gate leading to Phineas' backyard.

* * *

"Whatcha doin'?" I asked, hoping that would jog his memory. "Who are-" Phineas began, puzzled. Then realization dawned upon his face, and, for a moment, I began to hope.

"You're that girl from the hospital!" he said, and my mood dropped down to what it had been before. "I'm sorry, I can't remember your name."

I had hoped I wouldn't have to tell Phineas my name again, but it looked like I had no other choice.

"Isabella Garcia-Shapiro," I answered, determined to do all I could to help Phineas remember the last eight years.

"Isabella..." Phineas mused, more to himself than anyone else. "I wonder..."  
All of a sudden, two things occurred to me. Ferb beat me to the first, saying, "Where's Perry?" as he walked past the sliding glass door. The second was that nobody had come up with any Big Ideas for the day.

I wondered if Phineas was actually thinking about his next Big Idea. Maybe he had plans to build a memory retriever. I can understand that Phineas may have forgotten when he traveled through time, or built a portal to Mars, or circumnavigated the globe, but forgetting his own inventing brilliance seemed over the top.

"Whatcha doin'?" I asked again.

"I don't really know," Phineas responded. "I was planning on taking a walk through the Tri-State Area, to see if I can remember anything."

"Or you could just build a machine that could do that," I told him.

"Don't be silly, Isabella. Nobody could do anything like that." Phineas answered. "Besides, even if the technology exists today, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't, it would take at least a year to build such a device."

"You built a giant haunted house in just one morning," I countered. "It was super scary!"

"I know I can't remember anything, but I don't think that I could do that, even with your help." Phineas simply responded.

"You also built an ant farm the size of a house, and made a growth elixir to make the ants human-sized."

"Yeah, right." Phineas said sarcastically. "And Candace is the queen of Mars."

"You remember?!"

"No. Why would I?"

"Every day this summer, Phineas, you set out to do the impossible, just for fun, and every day, you did it by the time your mom got home with pie. Even if you don't remember doing this all, at least remember how good you were at it."

"Wow. We must play pretend a lot. No one can do the impossible."

"Yeah, until you came along."

Just then, Ferb walked outside, dragging a cardboard box behind him. Eager to change the subject, I turned to the British kid.

"What's in there?" I asked. Ferb dug through the box for a second and held up a blueprint for the tire swing and the all terrain vehicle that he had helped build earlier that summer.

"Oh!" I cried, "it's the box with all the blueprints for the things you did with Phineas! Phineas, do any of these ring a bell?"

Phineas walked over to the box. Looking through the blueprints, he laughed. "How can anyone build these things in a day? Man, I had an active imagination."

"Phineas," I said, in a final, desperate attempt, "why don't you remember?"

A familiar tune began to play in our ears, and Ferb and I grabbed some blueprints and began singing.

_With these blueprints we assembled mighty towers,  
With these blueprints we built giant bowling balls,  
With these blueprints we constructed rollercoasters,  
With these blueprints we turned summer into fall!_

_We've got blueprints, glorious blueprints!  
They gave us endless potentialities!  
We've built a superhero suit,  
A pirate ship to hunt for loot,  
Clones of ourselves and shrinking submarines!_

_'Cause we've got blueprints! Glorious blueprints!  
They make the things we dream reality!  
We took a trip through outer space,  
held an ancient Greek chariot race,  
And hosted an enormous beach party!_

_We've got one prints, two prints,  
nothing we can't do prints!_

_Three prints, four prints,  
everyday it's more prints!_

_Five prints, six prints,  
nothing we can't fix prints!_

_Big prints, small prints,  
make anything at all prints!_

_There's nothing we couldn't do,  
as long as they're blue!  
We got some hammers and nails,  
and buckets and pails!  
We grabbed a two-by-four,  
'Cause we had blueprints galore!_

_We've already accomplished so much  
And these blueprints helped a bunch!_

* * *

**No POV:**

The next thing anyone heard was Candace, letting out an ear-piercing scream.  
It wasn't a scream of joy, either.

Running downstairs, she threw open the sliding door leading to her backyard, at the same time as Ginger dashed in through the gate.

"What is it?" asked Isabella.

"She isn't here." Candace told Ginger. "I don't know where she could be. Phineas, Ferb, have you seen Stacey?"

"She didn't come home last night, or this morning." Ginger added. "I thought she may have spent the night at your house."

"She hasn't been here all day. Or yesterday, for that matter." Candace answered, the worried looks on their faces growing bigger with each passing second.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but who's Stacey?" Phineas said.

Candace and Ginger answered simultaneously.

"My sister." "My best friend."

"And no one knows where she is."

Isabella spoke up. "Well, Phineas, this sounds like a perfect time to do the impossible yet again."

"I told you already, Isabella. The impossible is, well, impossible." Phineas answered, exasperated. That sealed the deal.

Defeated, Isabella left the backyard, accompanied by Ginger. Ferb and Candace ran inside, to do all that they could to help find Stacey. They had tried, and they had failed, to help Phineas. Now everyone decided to focus on the other task at hand.

Phineas, meanwhile, sat back down under the tree, thinking to himself.

_Man, my life must be messed up, he thought. Everyone seems to think that I can do the impossible. Maybe it's not such a bad idea for me to start over. I may be stuck with Ferb, but I can at least choose some new friends who aren't quite as... crazy._

However, as Phineas was thinking that to himself, his heart was saying quite the opposite. _Have faith in yourself. Don't doubt your old life._

* * *

**And that's that. I know, still not tons of action. I'm biding my time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike (here's a hint - next chapter). Now, a message (now only for those I can't reply to - see? I'm figuring stuff out). Guest JDOGG - I have to give Phineas something to hang onto. For the upcoming chapters. Thanks everyone. Please read and please review.**


	8. Sacrifices

**Many of you have been waiting for this chapter, and finally, here it is! When I say you'll get action, then, by Godfrey, action you'll get. Be warned, however, for I own neither Phineas nor Ferb. I have no rights to the show whatsoever. Oh, the song from the last chapter was based off of the blueprints song (Phineas and Ferb Interrupted). Now without any further ado, you can start reading.**

* * *

**No POV:**  
Perry couldn't believe anything. He couldn't believe that Phineas lost his memories. He couldn't believe that Doofenshmirtz from the second dimension had returned. He couldn't believe that Stacey worked for the O.W.C.A. Yet somehow, it was all real.

Speaking of the O.W.C.A., Perry's watch was beeping, and, no matter how badly Perry wanted to stay home and help Phineas, the truth of the matter was that his duty as a secret agent had to come first. No matter what.

Reluctantly, Perry walked into his lair and sat in his chair. On the screen in front of him, Major Monogram began speaking.

"Agent P, your behavior yesterday was unacceptable. You didn't even bother to thwart Doofenshmirtz's evil schemes, which is twice as important now that he's back from the second dimension. Luckily, he didn't appear to be up to anything evil that day. But today, we know differently. Our scanners have shown him to be walking around Maple Drive, which is the street you live on. That can't be good. If he finds out where you live, then all would be lost! He could... ring your doorbell, and run away! Or he could... paint a giant target and throw eggs at it! Or he could..."

Perry didn't hear the rest of Monogram's ramble. If Doofenshmirtz was near his owners, that couldn't be good. He had to protect them at all costs. So, he left the lair to find Doofenshmirtz, before the evil scientist found him, or anyone important to him. That counted double, knowing that somehow, the Doofenshmirtz from the second dimension was here.

* * *

Agent P took a seat on the chimney of his house, grabbed his binoculars, and began looking around for any signs of Doofenshmirtz.

Under the tree, Isabella and Ferb were finishing a song of some sort. Ginger was dashing through the fence gate, and Candace had just walked outside. Looking down the street, Perry could see Buford and Baljeet walking over. On the other side of the street, he could see Jeremy also walking over. Just over a fence, Perry could see a green light surrounding Irving, who, as usual, was spying on Phineas and Ferb.

Agent P breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing out of the ordinary yet. Wait - was there a green light surrounding Irving? The platypus did a double take. Irving wasn't there. He could have sworn he saw the kid a second ago. He must have been seeing things.

Just to make sure, Perry took another look at everyone. Buford and Baljeet were still walking over. Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Candace, and Ginger were still talking in the backyard. Jeremy was - Jeremy!

Perry gasped, as he watched a green light surround Jeremy, and, in moments, the teenage boy had vanished into thin air. _So that's what happened to Irving._

Trying to find where the beam came from, Agent P gasped again. The beam had been fired by none other than Doofenshmirtz - the one with an eyepatch. Right now, Perry could hear him laughing maniacally, as he blew on a handheld inator. Then Doofenshmirtz continued walking towards Perry's house. There was no time to lose.

Activating his jetpack, Agent P flew towards Doofenshmirtz, hoping to cut the evil scientist off before he hit somebody else with that beam. After all, Doofenshmirtz was less than a block away from the Flynn-Fletcher's house.

* * *

As was the group's luck nowadays, things went wrong in the blink of an eye.  
Isabella and Ginger ran out of Phineas' driveway, and right into Doofenshmirtz. The evil scientist grumbled.

"Ugh... More friends? How many does this kid have? I've already captured like, three of them." He pointed his inator at Ginger, and fired.

Isabella just stood there, unable to do anything as she watched her friend, and fellow Fireside girl, disappear before her very eyes. She wasn't able to take much more of this.

"What did you do to her?!" she screamed.

"Oh, I just hit her with my kidnap-inator," Doofenshmirtz replied calmly. "It transports whatever it hits to a cage in my evil lair, where I can use whoever I capture to help me take over the Tri-State Area. It's really not that complicated, if you think about it."

"You're the craziest pharmacist I've ever met!" Isabella screamed, still too paralyzed by fear to even think about running.

"I'm an evil scientist! Not a pharmacist! Why does everyone make that mistake?! Now, puny girl, witness the wrath of my kidnap-inator firsthand!"

Doofenshmirtz pointed the inator at Isabella, and pulled the trigger.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, like a scene out of a movie. The inator began to fire a green beam at Isabella, and slowly, bravely, the Fireside girl closed her eyes, ready for what would happen next. She was not expecting to get shoved out of the way.

Isabella's eyes flew open as she hit the ground, rapidly searching for her savior. Once again, she was not expecting to see what she did.

"Pinky?" she cried out, stunned.

Her pet chihuahua turned to to look at her, and saluted, his eyes filled with sorrow. That was the last Isabella saw of her dog before the green light surrounded him completely, and he vanished into thin air.

"Ugh..." Doofenshmirtz grumbled. "Interference. Oh well, I'll have to work with it." He aimed the kidnap-inator at Isabella again, and fired.

In that moment, Isabella snapped into action, and jumped out of the path of the beam. But it was too late. Despite her best efforts, the Fireside girl couldn't avoid the green beam that came out of Doofenshmirtz's inator.

"Nooooo!"

* * *

Perry cursed himself again. He saw the whole scene unfold from the air, but had been to scared to try and do anything about it. Even Pinky - tiny, shivering Pinky - had been braver than him. He took a few deep breaths. _It's just like thwarting Doofenshmirtz_, he told himself. _Piece of cake.  
_

_But last time you couldn't beat him without Phineas and Ferb's help, _argued another, more negative part of his mind._ How can you expect to defeat him singlehanded? Your other-dimension self couldn't do it, and look how he turned out.  
_

_So? I beat my other-dimension self in combat. Surely I can beat the other-dimension Doofenshmirtz.  
_

_Are you sure?_

Perry sighed. He was getting nowhere, arguing with himself. Then, from the back of his mind, a memory sprang forth. A song, to be specific, that was passed down through generations of platypuses. A song that dated back to 1542.

* * *

_Oh yeah!_

_In other circumstances you might fail  
But you've got a bill and beaver tail  
Because you're a platypus you better hope that you sweat...  
Milk!_

_Figure out how much you can take  
Work yourself through your union break  
You squeeze a silkworm, what'cha think you're gonna get?  
Silk!_

_'Cause I know that you ought to be a great warrior  
Even if now you're a wuss  
It's the Way of the Platypus!_

_Train by running up ramps with two buckets of water  
And swing over muck for no reason  
At some point you'll drop to your knees when it's rainin'  
And look up into the sky..._

_You should stand on a post with your arms out  
Find flowers that are way out of season  
Go fly to a swamp planet, meet a little green man  
and move big heavy things with your mind..._

_'Cause I know that you ought to be a great warrior  
Even if now you're a wuss  
It's the Way of the Platypus!_

_It's the Way of the Platypus!_

* * *

Remembering that song, Perry knew what he had to do. He knew that even if he couldn't defeat Doofenshmirtz, he at least had to try. No arguments.

With that, the platypus began flying towards Doofenshmirtz, and, just as quickly, he stopped in his tracks.

The evil scientist had found his next targets, and was approaching them quickly.

* * *

"Who are you?" asked Baljeet, quaking in his shoes as the man who made Isabella disappear began walking towards them.

"An old friend," replied Doofenshmirtz. "Except by friend I mean enemy, and by old I mean mid-thirties. But it's expression, so you know what I mean."

"I do not believe that we have ever met before," said Baljeet. Buford, however, had other ideas.

"Doof?"

"See," said Doofenshmirtz, looking at Baljeet. "_He_ remembers me."

"You know him?" asked Baljeet.

"He makes toy models of the Tri-State Area. But the eyepatch is new."

For a moment, Doofenshmirtz was puzzled. Then a few gears clicked into place.

"Oh. You must met my other-dimension self. He's kind of an idiot. I'm much more evil."

With that, Doofenshmirtz pointed the kidnap-inator at Buford, and fired.

Of all people, it was Baljeet who reacted the quickest. "Nooooo!" he screamed, jumping in front of Buford, and taking the hit. In a matter of seconds, the green light enveloped the nerd, and Baljeet vanished into thin air.

"You-" Buford stammered, "you took my nerd!"

"See? Evil!" said Doofenshmirtz joyously, raising the inator so it pointed at Buford again.

* * *

Perry couldn't take any more of this. If he didn't act now, he'd never get the chance. He let go of his jet pack, and began falling towards Doofenshmirtz. He got there at the same moment as the scientist pulled the trigger.

With a kick, Perry redirected the kidnap-inator, so the beam missed Buford by inches. The inator fell out of Doofenshmirtz's hand, and Perry jumped on it, destroying it.

"Perry the Platypus? Why are you here? I thought you wouldn't show up after I kidnapped everyone." Doofenshmirtz's shocked expression told all.

Looking up, however, the evil scientist's shock turned to glee.

Perry spun around, wondering what had made Doofenshmirtz so happy, and his eyes widened, but not even the magnificent monotreme could do anything about what happened next.

* * *

**Uh-oh. Another cliffhanger. I can't help it. I'm evil that way. At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Oh, and what do all of you think about the songs I'm including? I haven't gotten many reviews about those. Please review. Thanks!**


	9. The Bullies on the Block

**At long last, I'm ready to give you the next chapter. That cliffhanger kept you waiting, huh? Yeah, sorry about that. Couldn't update any sooner. Anyways... the song from the last chapter was based off of The Way of the Platypus, from the episode Doof Dynasty. I don't own the original song (though the parody is my work), the episode, or any part of Phineas and Ferb. Now, with all the formalities finally out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Buford's POV:**

The day was bad enough to begin with. But, of course, it just had to get worse.

I woke up that morning knowing exactly what I was going to do: bully Phineas into remembering.

So that morning, I began the walk over to the Flynn-Fletcher's house, and stopped at Baljeet's on the way.

"Morning, nerd!" I said, trying out my new wedgoogie (a unique logic-defying amalgam of wedgies and noogies) on him as he opened the door. It worked brilliantly. I pulled his underwear up over his head, and noogied him, with his underwear in the same hand.

"Aiee!" Baljeet screamed. Then he sighed. "I suppose I should have seen that coming."

"I'm a bully. What can I say?"

"Point taken. Are we going to go to Phineas and Ferb's house again today? To use bullying and/or intelligence to make him remember?"

"Mostly bullying, but yeah." I said.

"Well, that can not be bad, I guess," Baljeet said, walking out the door. He only took one step before stopping, and frowning.

"Ummm... Buford?"

"Yeah?"

"Your wedgoogie was too powerful for my underpants, so I am going to have to change them first." With that, Baljeet turned and walked back inside to change his underwear.

That hurts. We were already behind schedule to begin with. No doubt Phineas, Ferb, and probably Isabella are all hard at work already. Besides, I haven't even seen Phineas since the accident. I wanted to know how he was doing. Still, I just stood outside, waiting for Baljeet.

It took a while, but the door finally opened.

"I am ready," Baljeet said cheerily, walking outside. "Let us go see Phineas."

I jumped to my feet. "Yes. Let's."

And we turned and walked down the street.

* * *

That was the high point of my day.

While we were walking down the street, I thought I saw a blond boy in a green shirt at the other end of the road. I turned to take another look. He wasn't there, so I dismissed the idea.

"Did you see that?" Baljeet asked.

"What?"

"I thought I saw Jeremy," he said, pointing to the other end of the road. "But he's not there."

"Must be a mirage," I said.

"But it is not hot enough or dry enough for people to even see mirages. You know, the temperature and humidity have to-"

I gave him a wedgie before he could continue. "Forget it, nerd."

Baljeet sighed, but stopped talking, and we continued walking until we were right in front of Isabella's house. Of course, this is when things got worse.

Looking across the street, I saw Isabella and Ginger - Ginger? What's she doing at the Flynn-Fletcher's? Ah, well, it doesn't matter. Anyways, Isabella and Ginger dashed through the fence gate, out of the backyard, like nobody's business. And they ran right into a man in a white lab coat.

* * *

**No POV:**

"Who is he?" asked Baljeet quietly, pointing to the man in the lab coat. Before Buford had a chance to answer, however, the man pointed a gun at Ginger and fired. All the two boys did was drop their jaws, helplessly, as they watched the Fireside Girl disappear in a shroud of green light. Then Baljeet turned to Buford again, and whispered, "and how did he do that?"

Buford was too shocked to answer. All he could do was watch silently as Doofenshmirtz talked to Isabella.

"Buford?" Baljeet asked, waving a hand in front of the bully's face. Still, Buford didn't even blink. Then, behind them, the door to the Garcia-Shapiro house opened with a mighty crash.

That caused Buford, and Baljeet, for that matter, to jump. Turning around, they saw at the door Isabella's pet dog, Pinky. Standing on two legs and wearing a 1940's hat.  
Still, Baljeet was the only one who was able to speak. "Pinky?!"

The dog turned to face Baljeet, and nodded grimly, tipping his fedora to the boy as he did so. Then he made a mad dash for Isabella.

The two boys, for their part, just stood there and watched. It was quickly becoming a habit of theirs. They felt completely helpless as Pinky shoved Isabella out of the way, and took the fall. Even more so when Isabella got hit.

"What is happening?!" Baljeet screamed, just as the last beam of light hit Isabella on the foot. Unfortunately, that attracted unwanted attention, primarily from the man with a lab coat.

* * *

Once again, Buford and Baljeet stood there, jaws hanging, as Doofenshmirtz approached them. And, once again, only Baljeet was able to speak.

"Who are you?" he said, shivering.

"An old friend," came the reply, "except by friend I mean enemy, and by old I mean mid-thirties. But it's expression, so you know what I mean."

Baljeet, being Baljeet, decided to continue the conversation. "I do not believe we have ever met before."

Buford, however, recognized the voice, and the man it belonged to. "Doof?"

"See?" said the evil scientist, directing his question accusingly at Baljeet. "He remembers me."

"You know him?" Baljeet asked, once again the question that seemed most logical.  
Buford, having finally found his voicemail spoke again. "He makes toy models of the Tri-State Area. But the eyepatch is new."

Doofenshmirtz hesitated. From the look on his face you could tell he was confused. Then he realized something, and opened his mouth.

"Oh. You must have met my other-dimension self. He's kind of an idiot. I'm much more evil."

And he pointed the gun at Buford, and pulled the trigger.

Luckily for Buford, Baljeet finally found his legs, and jumped in front of the beam.

"Nooooo!" he screamed, as the beam hit him, and he disappeared.  
Buford was shocked. "You-" he stammered, "you took my nerd!"

"See? Evil," Doofenshmirtz gloated. Then he pointed the gun at Buford.

_This is it_, Buford thought to himself. _This is the end._

Of course, he wasn't expecting Doofenshmirtz to miss. For that matter, he wasn't expecting a platypus in a fedora to fall out of the sky, make Doofenshmirtz miss, and break the gun.

In an instant, Buford swiveled around, wondering what the beam hit, if not him. Unfortunately, he saw the beam bounce off a mirror, and head straight for the platypus.

By the time Perry turned around, it was already too late.

The green beam hit the monotreme, and Doofenshmirtz let out a cry of joy.

"Yes! I kidnapped Perry the Platypus!"

Perry, however, had just enough time for one, desperate, last act. In the few seconds he had left, he pulled out a piece of paper from his hat, and handed it to Buford. On one side, there was a list, but on the other, the platypus had time to write one last word. _Run._

* * *

Buford read the paper, and got the message. He turned, and he ran for his life. Away from Doofenshmirtz. Away from the Flynn-Fletcher's house. Away from everything that had made that day the worst of his life. Away from everything he hated about the world.

Doofenshmirtz grumbled. "Ugh... I guess I'm going to have to kidnap you the old-fashioned way."

With that, he pulled a burlap sack out of a nearby bush, and began to pursue Buford up Maple Drive.

Turning around, Buford saw Doofenshmirtz chasing him, and just ran even faster. Just then, an unidentifiable voice began singing from no discernible source, and music to accompany it.

* * *

_Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Faster faster_

_Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Faster faster_

_Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Faster faster_

_Come on man gotta move gotta run  
Gotta feel the road burning  
From the heat of the sun  
On your feet as you flow  
Through the streets down the hills  
Passing dogs passing cars  
Passing old rock stars_

_You can feel all the power  
Of the earth as you flee  
From the man with the gun  
That you don't wanna see  
Don't wanna disappear  
Gotta live another year  
You're a blur in the air  
You've got style you've got flair_

_Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Run Buford run  
Run Buford run_

_Run Buford run  
(Run Buford Run)  
Faster faster!_

_The villain's out of sight and  
You're almost home free  
Nothing's gonna stop you  
Look out for that tree_

* * *

Near the end of the song, Buford looked over his shoulder, to see if he could see Doofenshmirtz (he didn't know that Doofenshmirtz gave up when the two ran past his apartment building). Of course, he couldn't see Doofenshmirtz. But he couldn't see in from of him, and as a consequence, ran into a tree. Fortunately, that tree was right outside his house, so Buford turned and walked inside, out of breath. There he crashed on his bed.

* * *

The next morning, Buford was waiting under the tree when Phineas and Ferb walked outside.

"Who are-," Phineas began, but Buford cut him off.

"Phineas? Ferb? We've got work to do."

* * *

**And there you have it! The next chapter. Getting interesting now, is it? Hope you like the story so far. I certainly am enjoying writing it, and hearing your reviews. On that note, please read and review. Thanks.**


	10. Reflections

**Hey everyone. I'm back with the next chapter here. This should answer a few of the questions you've asked me over the course of the story. But it will also pose some new ones. Basically, it's told from the point of view of everyone who got kidnapped. It made me cry just writing it. And another thing (or two). First, I don't own Phineas and Ferb. Second, the song from the last chapter is my version of Run Candace Run (from the episode Run Candace Run, duh). Finally, you can get to reading the next chapter. Enjoy it.**

* * *

**Stacey's POV:**

I knew I could be many things when I grew up. I never thought a spy would be one of them.

As it turns out, however, Major Monogram somehow knew that Perry let me keep my memories on Isabella's birthday. So I had to join the O.W.C.A. to avoid losing them. Of course, since all the agents are animals, I had to become a spy.

* * *

So, there I was that day, spying on Doofenshmirtz, gathering intel for Perry's next mission, when a giant hand picked me up, and dropped me in the cage where I still am now. And, as was his character, he gave me his evil plan and accompanying backstory.

"So you think you can spy on me, eh?" he said. "Well you're wrong! Nobody spies on me, Heinz Doofenshmirtz, without me knowing."

I rolled my eyes. I had been doing it for months now.

"Of course, I can't say the same for my other-dimension self, but anyways..."  
I gasped. That's why he had the eyepatch - it wasn't the Doofenshmirtz I was spying on. It was worse. Much worse.

"I bet you're wondering how I got here. Actually, I'm wondering that, too. But it's not important. What is important is that when I was going back to my dimension last time, your Major Monogram confiscated my Choo! It was then that I swore revenge on the entire Tri-State Area! And by Tri-State Area, I mean this Tri-State Area. Not the one in my dimension. I've got no grudge there. No, little spy, I plan to take over this Tri-State Area!"

I laughed a bit. That's what Doofenshmirtz was always trying to do. But, in the back if my head, I really was scared. This Doofenshmirtz actually managed to take over the Tri-State Area before. Who was to say that he couldn't do it again?

"And wouldn't you know it? There I was, sitting in my jail cell in the other dimension, when a green ray came out of the sky and hit me. Next thing I know, I'm standing on the balcony right over there. Lucky break, huh?"

I sighed. It was only a lucky break for him. For all of us, it was a nightmare.

"And exactly _how_ do I plan to do take over the Tri-State Area, you ask? Well I'll tell you."

I wasn't really wondering, but, knowing that this was what he did to Perry all day (at least, the Doofenshmirtz from our dimension - I am wondering what happened to him), I listened.

"You see, it wasn't Perry the Platypus who stopped me from taking over your dimension last time. It was his owners - those meddling kids."

He said that last word - _kids_ - with extreme disgust.

"So, I've filled the room with undetectable platypus scaring gas, so when Perry the Platypus sneaks in through the floor tile over there, climbs up the wall, and inches out onto the light fixture, he won't even know that he breathed in the gas to make him especially scared of me. Then, when he's out on the light fixture, a tracking device is going to secretly get installed on his back, and when he sees me, he'll run back to his lair next to his house, and I'll be able to track him right there. Then I can use my kidnap-inator to steal those kids. And after that, taking over the Tri-State Area will be a piece of cake!"

It wasn't just the evil of Doofenshmirtz's plan that scared me. It was the fact that I knew the kids Doofenshmirtz was after - Phineas, Ferb, and probably all their friends as well, from Candace to Suzy. Silently, I prayed that Perry, or for that matter, any of the agents at the O.W.C.A., would stop Doofenshmirtz, before it was too late.

A buzzer went off in Doofenshmirtz's pocket.

"Ooh!" he said, pulling out what looked like a GPS from his pocket.

"That's the Perry-track-inator. I can feel my evil senses tingling. That means my evil plan's working!"

"Agent P will stop you," I said, with as much courage as I could muster.

"Oh, really?" said Doofenshmirtz, showing me that a blinking P popped up on the screen of the GPS, right where Doofenshmirtz's apartment building was.

"See?" said the scientist. "You are too late! Soon, I will know where all my enemies are, so I can capture them and eliminate them, and after that, I'll be just a hop, skip, and jump away from being the unopposed ruler of the TRI-STATE-AREA!"

All I could think to say was, "you're crazy!"

"Crazy, or evil?" came the less-than-witty retort. Even so, it shut me up, as Doofenshmirtz continued to laugh maniacally.

* * *

I shuddered, remembering that monologue. It's scary enough being trapped by an evil scientist, but it only gets scarier when you realize that the same evil scientist is trying to kidnap your best friends. Silently, I prayed to any and all gods that I could think of, not caring an iota about whether or not I believed in them.

_Please_, I begged. _Don't let Doofenshmirtz get away with this. Give Perry the strength he needs to defeat Doofenshmirtz._

Perry. I can only imagine how he's feeling right now. Hopefully the effects of that scare gas will wear off eventually.

Then, from across the room, I heard another sound, and knew that nobody heard my prayers. It was a girl, crying. I may not be able to see her, but I sure could hear her. And I knew that if I spoke, she would be able to hear me. I tried to think of something to say that would cheer her up, but my mind drew a blank.

Just then, from another cell in the room, I heard a guitar begin to play. I jumped. The girl wasn't the only one captured, either.

The next thing I knew, I was singing to the tune. Where I knew the words from, I had no idea. But one thing I did know - whoever had the guitar chose the perfect song to play. So I sang.

_Close every door to me  
Hide all the world from me  
Bar all the windows  
And shut out the light_

* * *

**Ginger's POV:**

It was bad enough to begin with. But, of course, it just had to get worse.

As if my day wasn't ruined already. Phineas, as it turns out, lost all his memories. Not only does that cut back on the number of patches we can earn by, like, a hundred, but, knowing Isabella, it also means that the rate at which we earn the Help Thy Neighbor patch is going to double, at the very least. That could get annoying. It's not that I don't mind working with Phineas and Ferb - actually, it's really fun - I'm just running out of places to put all those Help Thy Neighbor patches. I've already filled up, like, two whole boxes.

* * *

Anyways, last night, after Phineas woke up, me and the rest of the troop went over to Isabella's to try and cheer her up. Phineas didn't know it, but he seriously broke her heart there. I had a horrible feeling that our fearless leader would never be the same again. But, at the very least, we Fireside Girls had to try and do what we could.

With the rest of my troop, I walked up to her house last night. Milly knocked on the door, and Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro answered.

"Umm.. Hi." Milly said. "Is Isabella home?"

Isabella's mother nodded. "She's in her room. Why?"

"We were hoping we could talk to her," Milly replied. "You know, to try and cheer her up."

"Go ahead," said the older woman, letting us in. "I tried for hours, but couldn't do anything. Maybe she just needs help from kids her age."

We walked up to Isabella's bedroom. This time, Adyson knocked on the closed door.

Slowly, Isabella opened it. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks were covered in tears. Obviously she had been crying. A lot.

"Oh. Hey," she said, noticing us. "I'd like to be on my own right now, so please go away."

She began to close the door, but Adyson pushed it open again.

"Actually, that's why we're here. You need someone to talk to."

"My mom said the same thing," replied Isabella, downcast. "It didn't help."

"Well, that's your mom," said Gretchen. "We're your friends. There's a difference."

"No there's not," said Isabella, tearing up again.

"Look, Izzy," said Katie, putting an arm around our leader. "We know how you feel. If you suddenly lost your memories, I don't know how any of us would cope."

"No!" screamed Isabella, now on the defensive all of a sudden. "You don't know how I feel. None of you have been secretly in love with Phineas. Much less been in love with anyone for six years!"

"It's seven, actually." I said.

"Oh, so now you're the timekeeper of my love life?" said Isabella sarcastically, clearly enraged. "I didn't think you even cared one bit about it, considering how annoyed you girls get whenever I drop off into Phineasland. Besides, I didn't even live here until I turned five, so I couldn't have had a crush on Phineas for more than six years."

"No, Isabella," I said. "Seven years I've had a crush on Baljeet."

* * *

Just like that, everyone and everything in the room stopped. Isabella, who had been ready to scream some more, just stared at me.

"Wow," Holly said, breaking the silence that had struck the room so suddenly.

"What?!" Isabella asked, not believing what I said.

"I've secretly had a crush on Baljeet for seven years," I said, finding the necessary motivation to cheer Isabella up. Even if that motivation was a little (okay, a lot) embarrassing, it would be worth it if it got Isabella back to her usual self. So I continued.

"And I still have a crush on him. Even to this day, I haven't given up on Baljeet. So why did you give up on Phineas?"

"I never said that!" cried Isabella.

"Maybe not," I continued, knowing I had the upper hand here. "But you acted like it. From the moment we saw you walk out of Phineas' room in the hospital, we knew that you had given up. And of all people, you! The most determined girl I know, giving up on the man of her dreams after six years."

"Yeah," I heard Holly whisper. "Literally the man of her dreams."

Ignoring that comment, I continued speaking.

"And you know what else? Phineas loves you back! We know that now!"

"No," Isabella cut in. "He _loved_ me back. Then he lost his memories."

"Well that sounds to me like a girl who's given up. Did you give up?"

"No," said Isabella, looking up at me. Her answer sounded more like a question, but I saw her face brighten up a bit upon saying that. Excited, now, I asked again.

"Did you give up?"

"No," said Isabella, firmly, more of a statement this time.

"Did you give up?!" I asked, one final time.

"No!" Isabella said loudly, standing up.

I smiled. My plan worked.

* * *

Remembering that conversation the other night, I wondered why I had given up now. That night, I convinced Isabella not to give up. So why couldn't I convince myself? It's a sad day when people are so fragile that the slightest disturbance can make them give up. I knew that Isabella would be like that after last night. I just didn't know that I'd be that kind as well.

But here I am now, locked up in a small jail cell. After that green beam hit me, I found myself in the grasp of a giant metal hand, which promptly dropped me into this cell and locked it. There was a slot at the top for food and light, and a cot at the other end, but other then that, it was a stone cold prison cell.

Out of nowhere, I heard a guitar begin playing. And someone begin singing. I jumped. I could recognize that voice anywhere! I finally found at least one good thing from this experience - my missing sister! I listened as she began singing.

_Close every door to me  
Hide all the world from me  
Bar all the windows  
And shut out the light_

I almost cried. It was the perfect song to sing. Somehow, I remembered the words, and gathered up the courage to sing the next part, reunited with my sister.

_Do what you want with me  
Hate me and laugh at me  
Darken my daytime  
And torture my night_

* * *

**Irving's POV:**

I don't get it.

Despite all the amazing things Phineas and Ferb did this summer, the gods still decided to play cruel joke. What did they do wrong? Were they supposed to get busted? Or is it just really, really, really bad luck we're having?

I shuddered, remembering my encounter with Phineas.

* * *

Last night, I didn't have a ride home, so Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher offered to take me. She's such a nice person. I immediately said yes.

I got in the car along with Candace, Ferb, and Phineas. Naturally, I decided to sit next to Phineas. Right now, the red-haired boy was looking around, evidently confused by the way he was observing everything. And, upon noticing me, he decided to speak.

"Do I know you?"

I could feel my soul shatter right then and there.

"How can you not know your biggest fan?!" I screamed.

"I have fans?" Phineas asked.

"Oh, no," I said worriedly. "It's worse then I thought."

Phineas looked at me blankly.

"Look," he said. "I know I have amnesia and all, but you're not even tugging at any memories. Seeing that green-haired kid in the backseat and the girl with a bow made me know at least that I'm forgetting something, but you feel like a complete stranger."

That comment made whatever crumbs remained of my should dissolve into emptiness.

"Oh," I said, somewhat sarcastically. "And I suppose _these_ are complete strangers to you as well, huh?"

I pulled out the UPAFDS, and showed the pictures to Phineas. I showed him all of his greatest creations, from the rollercoaster to the waterslide to the Ferris Wheel.

"Wow. Which amusement park is that?" Phineas asked. "Looks like fun."

"Phineas, these pictures were taken in your backyard," I replied.

"Photoshop?"

"No!" I screamed. "Not Photoshop! Real life!"

"Well then, which is it?" Phineas asked, exasperated. "A photoshopped amusement park or a real life amusement park?"

Now I was mad. "Neither!" I yelled.

"_Phineas_! These are pictures of all the amazing things you've done. This rollercoaster was built in your backyard. This waterslide you built around Big Ben. The Ferris wheel you built just the other day!"

"You're kidding me, right?"

Right then and there, I knew that the great Phineas Flynn was gone. Nothing more than a thing of the past. A fragment of our memories. The kid who held three world records, however pointless, was no more. And all it took was a green beam of light.

* * *

I got out of the car, for it had pulled up next to my house, and walked away. If the UPAFDS can't save Phineas, what can? What even has a chance?

Is it karma, then, that a green beam of light hit me the next day? That I find myself here, in this... prison? Or is this what happened to Phineas? The beam of light hit him and replaced him with a kid who had no memories. Is the great Phineas Flynn - the real one - in a cell like this? Can I save him? Can I try?  
Then, out of the blue, a guitar starts playing, and a voice begins singing.

_Close every door to me  
Hide all the world from me  
Bar all the windows  
And shut out the light_

I frown. The voice isn't Phineas'. It's someone else's - I think Stacey's. Don't tell me she got replaced as well. Then another voice joins in - the voice of Ginger Hirano - Stacey's younger sister. Oh no. People are getting replaced by the family.

_Do what you want with me  
Hate me and laugh at me  
Darken my daytime  
And torture my night_

Why isn't Phineas singing? Maybe he's not here. No. The real Phineas is here. I'm sure of it. Wait. Maybe if I sing, he'll recognize my voice and join in. I do know all the words, after all. Who knows? I decided to give it a shot, and joined in the song.

_If my life were important, I  
Would ask will I live or die  
But I know the answers lie  
Far from this world_

* * *

**Baljeet's POV:**

Where did it all go wrong?

I mean, we were doing just fine, and then - bam! It was like my grandfather's bicycle race - he could see the finish line, but could not quite reach it. Is that what happened this time? Did we trip, only moments before the finish line?

I thought it was going to work out perfectly. Phineas and Isabella walked into our backyard that morning, hand in hand. They had finally gotten together.

The next thing they did was build a lot of amazing stuff and put them all in a locked suitcase, which Ferb managed to miniaturize to a handheld size. Then they gave it to me, saying that the suitcase will open when I need it most. It is still in my pocket now.

Then Phineas turned our backyard turned into Paris, for Isabella. What could go wrong?

Obviously, everything could go wrong. And everything did go wrong. Phineas got hit by... whatever that was, and lost his memories. Buford gave me the worst wedgie - or wedgoogie - of my life. I got hit by that beam, and ended up here - in this small room. If we somehow get out of this alive, Buford owes me big time.

* * *

Jeremy must have had his guitar with him when he got hit by that beam, because out of nowhere, a guitar chord began playing. I could hear it through the slot at the top of my cell. Then I heard something else that surprised me. Stacey singing.

_Close every door to me  
Hide all the world from me  
Bar all the windows  
And shut out the light._

Well, I have to give them credit. It is the perfect song to sing. The circumstances we are in almost perfectly mirror those described in the song.

_Do what you want with me  
Hate me and laugh at me  
Darken my daytime  
And torture my night_

I gasped, noticing that another voice had joined Stacey's - the voice of Ginger. It's such a pretty one. I jumped again, hearing a third voice begin singing with them.

_If my life were important, I  
Would ask will I live or die  
But I know the answers lie  
Far from this world_

It was Irving singing. I have never heard him sing before. He is a pretty bad singer. Then, on some impulse I cannot identify, I opted to join in, although I also decided to change some of the words, so it better fit our predicament.

_Close every door to me  
Keep those I love from me  
Children of Danville  
Just might be alone_

* * *

**Jeremy's POV:**

A jail cell. I did not see that coming.

I knew Phineas lost all his memories - it took Candace like, an hour to tell me over the phone. Every time she'd say anything about the boy, she'd start crying. If anything, she needed help. And, with everyone focusing their attention on Phineas, nobody was doing that for her. So I decided to go to her house the next day and give everyone the support they need.

It never crossed my mind that I wouldn't even make it there.

I was walking over with my guitar. Earlier, I called the rest of the Incidentals and asked them to be at Phineas' house. I had a few songs in mind. Then I got hit by that green beam.

Now, I'm in this jail cell. I whipped out my cell phone - what better way to let people know where you were, and that you needed help? Naturally, there was no service.

* * *

For the fifth time now, I heard that metal arm that dropped me in here drop someone else in a different cell. Whoever hit me with that green beam must be on a rampage. What kind of evil villain is this? He's kidnapped at least six people.

Thinking of that, I remembered a story I heard the other night. This guy was beaten up by his eleven older brothers and sold into slavery. And even though he worked really hard, and impressed all his masters, he got thrown into jail. But he never gave up, and eventually had his eleven brothers begging at his knees.

Remembering that story, I also remembered one of the songs I had been practicing. Looking back at the situation I was, I smiled. The song was perfect. So I got out my guitar (it got taken here with me), and played a chord. To my surprise, someone else began singing.

_Close every door to me  
Hide all the world from me  
Bar all the windows  
And shut out the light_

It was Stacey singing. Well, at least we can hear each other. I continued playing, and another voice joined in. I think it's Stacey's sister, Ginger.

_Do what you want with me  
Hate me and laugh at me  
Darken my daytime  
And torture my night_

I smiled. It's good to hear all these other voices, even if we can't see their owners. Once again, another voice joined the song. Was it... _Irving_?

_If my life were important, I  
Would ask will I live or die  
But I know the answers lie  
Far from this world_

Still, everyone continued singing. And still, another voice began singing. And still, I recognized the voice. Baljeet's voice is unmistakeable. How many others are there?

_Close every door to me  
Keep those I love from me  
Children of Danville  
Just might be alone_

My face lit up. I didn't want to use the exact words from the song, so I changed a few of them up. The changes Baljeet made were spot on. But there were many, many more changes in this part. So I jumped in, singing with the lyrics that I wrote.

_By some cruel twist of fate  
A day that was great  
Turned into a nightmare  
In a league of its own_

* * *

**Isabella's POV:**

It's scary how quickly your world can turn upside-down before your very eyes.  
I can't believe that less than two days ago, I was on top of the world, and now I'm... here. Trapped in a cold, dark room. And the only thought spinning through my head is: _what happened?_

It was supposed to be the best day of my life. Everything was going my way, and then... no. I don't want to think about it. I've had bad dreams before, but the past few days - that was a nightmare. And the worst part is that I know I'm not going to wake up in my bed one morning, as if nothing had happened, no matter how much I wish I could. If there's one thing that I know for sure, it's that this is too real to be a dream. I am, quite literally, living a nightmare.

It was bad enough seeing Phineas - the love of my life - lose his memories. All he is now is but a shell of the man I fell in love with. But to watch Pinky and Ginger disappear before my own two eyes? And then to have the same thing happen to me? That pushed me over the edge. All is truly lost.

How will things ever be the same? It's just not possible. It never was possible from the moment that green ray hit Phineas.

It took me six years, and I didn't even get six hours. Thoughts like that only further enforced the fact that I shouldn't have fallen in love with him. It was never going to end well, no matter how I imagine it in my head.

* * *

Looking down, I could barely see my pink bow, which I had proudly worn on top of my head all these years. Now, it lay on the ground, torn and covered in dirt - a symbol of my shattered spirit. Staring at it, I remembered those words he had said, only moments before my world changed. _I think I love you too_. Those six words meant the world to me, and still do. It's all I have to hang on to.

Two days ago, those words made me the happiest girl in the universe. Now it's like they were never said. Like they only happened in my head. Those words are nothing more than a thing of the past now. Those words were my life, up until now. Now, it's like they don't matter. Those words are nothing but memories now. They will never - never - be a reality, despite all my best efforts.

Taking another look at my bow, I picked it up, and gently put it back on my head, where it had been. I need to be strong now. But after all that happened, is that even possible? Is there any strength left in me?

* * *

Quietly, I lay down on the smooth, damp floor, and cried myself to sleep.

Before I fell asleep, however, I heard a guitar play a tune, and a girl begin singing.

_Close every door to me  
Hide all the world from me  
Bar all the windows  
And shut out the light_

I looked at the small slot in the top of the cell. Did I really hear those words, that guitar? Was it really Stacey singing? I listened for more.

_Do what you want with me  
Hate me and laugh at me  
Darken my daytime  
And torture my night_

Another voice joined in there. One that I was certain I knew. It was the voice of Ginger, the last friend I saw. Then another voice joined in. Irving's.

_If my life were important, I  
Would ask will I live or die  
But I know the answers lie  
Far from this world_

Those words. That song. It only made me cry harder. It was... perfect. A fourth voice joined in. Another one I knew like the back of my hand. Baljeet's voice.

_Close every door to me  
Keep those I love from me  
Children of Danville  
Just might be alone_

Given the circumstances, I braced myself for this part of the song. But Jeremy stepped in, and everyone else seemed to sing along to his words, which were, once again, perfect, given our situation. I can understand why Candace loves him so much. He's always there for you, ready to help and support whoever he can, whenever he can. And, right now, his words supported my feelings.

_By some cruel twist of fate  
A day that was great  
Turned into a nightmare  
In a league of its own_

I wiped the tears off my face. Everyone feels just like me. Ginger lost Stacey like I lost Phineas. Jeremy lost Candace. Baljeet lost Buford. Stacey lost Ginger. Irving lost, well, he also lost Phineas. Everyone was as hurt as me, and in their own way. Realizing that, I began singing.

_Close every door to me  
Hide all the world from me  
Bar all the windows  
And shut out the light_

All of a sudden, I decided to sing my own verse. Raising my voice, I sang out the next few lines as the words came into my head. Everyone else quieted down, and listened to my solo.

_Is there a happy end?  
Will I get back my friend?  
Can I still hope that  
Things might be okay?_

_What of my life is left?  
That's not been messed with yet?  
Is there part of me  
That's still here to stay?_

Everyone else - Stacey, Ginger, Baljeet, Irving, and Jeremy - joined back in now.

_If my life were important, I  
Would ask will I live or die  
But I know the answers lie  
Far from this world_

_Close every door to me  
Keep those I love from me  
Children of Danville  
Just might be alone_

_By some cruel twist of fate  
A day that was great  
Turned into a nightmare  
In a league of its own_

Hearing, and then singing, that song brought a smile to my face. No matter how bad things get, there's always someone watching out for you. It was the saddest, yet somehow, also the prettiest thing I had ever heard in my life.

* * *

**No POV:**

"Stacey!" Ginger's voice, and joy, was unmistakeable.

"Ginger!" Stacey cried. "How did you get here?"

"I don't know," came the reply. Ginger's voice was faint, but audible nonetheless. "I was looking for you when this guy shot me, and I woke up in this jail cell."

For a second, there was silence, as Stacey racked her brain for the right words to say.

"I'm just glad you're safe," was what she said when she finally did speak.

"Are you kidding?!" Ginger yelled. "This?! Safe?!"

"Better than having to worry about you while I was trapped here for days." Stacey answered. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

"Awww..." Irving said, making the conversation a whole lot more awkward than it needed to be. "That's so sweet."

Nobody could see it, but Stacey and Ginger both flushed a bright red at that comment.

* * *

"What did Doof hit us with?" Baljeet asked, deeming this an appropriate time to change the subject.

"Doof?" asked Isabella.

"Buford tells me that that is the pharmacist's name," said Baljeet.

"Buford?!" Stacey yelled, shocked. "How does he know him?"

"I do not know," replied Baljeet. "He just does."

"Okay," said Isabella. "Whatever. Doofenshmirtz told me that he shot us all with his kidnap-inator. It teleports whatever it hits to his evil lair, apparently. Wherever that is."

"Yeah," Stacey agreed. "So now we're all imprisoned by a guy who's head looks like Phineas' head, and he trapped us in a building that looks like Ferb's head."

"How do you know the building looks like Ferb's head?" Irving asked.

"I've been sneaking over here every day since Isabella's birthday."  
"What?!" Isabella screamed. "Why?!"

"Well, I discovered that-" Stacey caught herself just in time. She was about to reveal Perry's secret identity.

"I decided to join a secret organization, and they told me to spy on Doofenshmirtz almost every day, so they could send someone in to foil his evil plans."

"Wait a minute," Jeremy piped up. "Does this secret organization have a Major Monogram, by any chance?"

Stacey's gasp was heard loud and clear throughout all the cells. "Yes..."

"I gave him a guitar lesson once. I gave this Doof guy one too. On the same day, even," explained Jeremy.

Ginger, meanwhile, noticed something that gave her reason to hope.

"You said someone else comes in to foil this guy's plans, right?" she asked.

"Yes..." Stacey said, seeing where Ginger was going with this. _Maybe_, she thought. _Just maybe_...

"Will he come and rescue us?"

Before Stacey could answer, a chatter was heard throughout all the cells.

Everyone screamed almost simultaneously.

"Perry?!"

Another chatter confirmed that the platypus was, indeed, trapped in his own cell with everyone else.

"Well, Stacey?" asked Ginger again. "Will he come rescue us?"

Stacey sighed. She had begun to hope for the same reason as Ginger, but, as it turns out, Perry was trapped as well.

"I'm sure he would," Stacey started. "But he's trapped here as well."

"Nu-uh," said Ginger. "There is no way that Isabella's a spy."

"Are you kidding me?!" screamed Isabella. "Me?! A spy?!"

"Well, you are the fittest, bravest, and most determined of all of us. If anyone, it would be you. Besides, Stacey said something about your birthday."

"That's just a coincidence." Stacey said. "It's not Isabella."

"Wait a minute," Baljeet began, recalling something that he saw. Was it really only moments ago?

Isabella, as it turned out, was having the same realization.

"Pinky?" said the two children, almost simultaneously. "Is he here?"

A bark was heard, loud and clear, throughout the cells.

"Well," said Baljeet. "What do you know? He is here. I suppose, then, Stacey, that Pinky is the spy, seeing as he was wearing a 1940's fedora and standing up on two legs."

Stacey stopped for a moment. Is Pinky really a spy? If so, his secret identity had obviously been revealed by now. Choosing her next words cautiously, she spoke.

"Well, that does sound like a spy to me," she began. "He could be an agent from a different division of the agency, because he's not the spy I'm talking about."

"Then who is the spy?" Jeremy asked, tired of not knowing.

Stacey sighed. She knew Perry would want to keep his identity secret, if possible. Just then, a thought popped into her mind. Why hadn't come up with this idea earlier?

She raised her voice. "If you want to reveal that you are secretly a spy, speak now."

In the next moment, two sounds were heard. A bark and a chatter.

For a second afterwards, everything was silent. Then Stacey spoke.

"Well, there you have it. We have two spies in our midst: Perry and Pinky."

"I remember Mr. Monogram saying something about using animals as secret agents," Jeremy said. "But I thought he was joking. Does Perry really come here every day to fight crime?"

"Usually," Stacey said. "Sometimes he'll be out on the interstate, or over in the park. But yes. Yes he does."

"I will now update the UPAFDS," Irving said.

"No!" yelled Stacey. "It's a secret, remember?

"Oh."

After that, no one could think of anything to say, and quietly, everyone lay down on their cots, and tried to get some sleep.

* * *

**Whew! That was far and away the longest chapter I've ever written. Almost 6,000 words typed up there, even without the author's notes. Hope you liked it. Oh, originally I planned only to use songs from Phineas and Ferb episodes, but the song I used in this one fit with the story so well that I just couldn't resist putting it into the story. Virtual cookies to anyone who can guess what the song is based off of. Anyways, did this answer a few of your questions? I think it did. But it also posed quite a few new ones. Like what was Baljeet talking about in that paragraph about the suitcases?**

**Anyways, please read and and review. And also enjoy. Thanks!**


	11. The Journey Ahead

**It feels like it's been too long since I updated this story. But i got here in the end. So, for those of you who are confused, the song from the last chapter was based off of Close Every Door, from the musical otherwise known as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (which, like Phineas and Ferb, I do not own). So look up the song and listen to it, while imagining the characters from the last chapter singing it in the sway I described. It made me cry. Did I mention that I don't own Phineas and Ferb? I may have touched upon it once or twice... or twelve times (or somewhere in between). Please, enjoy this chapter at your leisure.**

* * *

**No POV:**

_Well, that was a weird day, _Phineas thought as he got up the next morning._ For some reason, everyone seems to think that the laws of physics are breakable. And not just by anyone, by me. An eleven year old kid._

_Well, maybe they're telling the truth._ A mental argument began between two sides of his mind, one that wanted to start a new life and one that wanted to get back the old one.

_Yeah, right,_ the latter portion of his mind countered. _The laws of physics are called laws for a reason, you know._

_I don't know_, retorted the other part of the mind. _Everyone else seems convinced._

_Yeah, everyone except your mother - the adult of the bunch._

Phineas sighed. It was as if that one part of his mind - the one that wanted the old life back - knew something that he didn't. But who was he kidding? Ferb? That Isabella girl? Candace?

No matter how you put it, the evidence pointed to an overactive imagination among the children. First, there was the fact that everything he was supposed to be able to do was impossible. Second, it was only the kids that seemed to believe such - and it's always the kids that do the imagining. Phineas' mom seemed perfectly sane.

Phineas' mom, however, was not home at the moment. She, along with Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro and Mrs. Johnson, were taking a short trip to Texas, where they managed to impress the owner of a theatre there with their free-form jazz, the E.V.I.L. B.O.Y.S. song in particular. So they arranged a concert for the following evening, and left late last night, planning to be back by the end of the week.

But Phineas knew full well that that wasn't the only reason his mom was traveling there. Apparently, researchers down there recently had a major breakthrough dealing with the neurology of the brain. Specifically, memory restoration. Undoubtedly, that was the real reason Linda was traveling.

Needless to say, that with Lawrence also away in England, Candace was left in charge. And, despite all of Candace's arguments and tantrums, little Suzy Johnson was staying at their house for the time being, as well.

* * *

After breakfast, Phineas walked outside, with Ferb right behind him, and found yet another unfamiliar face sitting under the tree.

"Who are-" he began, but was cut off by the other kid.

"Phineas? Ferb? We've got work to do."

Phineas stopped. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah, I heard you. What work do we have to do? It's summer. I mean, unless you want to try and help me remember-"

"Oh, yeah," said the other kid, cutting Phineas off. "I forgot you had amnesia. Guess I got caught up in more recent events. I'm your friend Buford the bully."

"You're a bully?" Phineas asked. Okay, so it wasn't the most important question, but it was certainly the most pertinent. At least, to Phineas.

"Do I _look_ like a nerd?" Buford asked.

"I suppose not. Does this mean I'm also a bully?" Phineas asked, looking for another reason to give his old life up.

"Do you _look_ like a bully?"

"I suppose not. Then why am I friends with you?"

"You need my muscle to lift heavy things, and I don't have any reason to bully you. But that's not important now. We've got some friends to save."

Buford pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. It was the paper Perry had given to him yesterday. Phineas, and for that matter, Ferb as well, could see the word run written scrappily on one side. Buford, however, was looking at the list on the other.

_Stacey  
Irving  
Jeremy  
Ginger  
Pinky  
Isabella  
Baljeet_

One glance at it, and Buford could tell it was a list of everyone Doofenshmirtz kidnapped with that gun. He had witnessed firsthand most of them.

"Sorry, did you say we have friends to save?" Phineas asked.

"Yeah," replied Buford. "Six, to be precise, plus two pets in fedoras."

Ferb, who had been standing quietly behind Phineas this whole time, gasped. There were more missing people? Other than just Stacey? All of his efforts to find her yesterday proved fruitless. As had Candace's. and now there were more people he needed to worry about? This was quickly becoming too much for him.

"Who?" questioned the green-haired kid, not only curious, but genuinely scared as well.

"Stacey, Irving, Jeremy, Ginger, Isabella, and Baljeet. And Pinky and Perry," answered Buford.

"Am I supposed to know all those names?" asked Phineas. "Because I only recognize, like, two of them."

Before Buford could answer, however, Candace threw open the sliding door, and dashed into the backyard.

"What?!" she screamed. "_Who's_ been kidnapped?"

"You heard me." Buford said. "You gotta save 'em. Baljeet especially."

"But," Phineas began. "What can we do that the police can't? I'm assuming that you've called them already."

"Yeah, the police ain't gonna help," answered Buford, shrugging aside not only the notion, but the fact that he hadn't called the police. "But you can."

"This is about doing the impossible again, isn't it?" asked Phineas, quickly growing tired of that statement.

"I already explained to everyone, like, a million times. The impossible is, for lack of a better word, impossible. How can you do something that can't be done?"

"You just have to believe," answered Buford, walking behind the tree. "After all..."

Stepping out from behind the tree, however, wasn't Buford, although he was dressed the in the same black shirt and pants. It was Clay Aiken, microphone in hand. Immediately, he began singing.

_What is a summer really  
But a tepid month or three?_

Phineas turned to Candace, who was playing a tambourine . "Is that Clay Aiken?"

"Yeah," the girl replied. "We hired a stunt singer. Hoped it would help with your memory."

Now, Buford stepped out from behind the tree, strummed a guitar, and Clay Aiken continued singing, while Phineas just listened to the song, confused.

_If you agree with Phineas  
That's all it will ever be_

_And we don't need to break the laws of physics  
To stop a man that's ruined our whole day  
We can find out where he lives and we can get back all our friends  
And stop all the naysayers from naysay... ing_

_'Cause I believe we can  
And that's the measure, the measure of a man  
It may sound far-fetched, this thing we've got planned  
But I believe we can_

_I believe we can (Ooh, I believe, I believe we can)  
And that's the measure, the measure of a man (Oh, that's the measure of a man)_

That indiscernible voice in parentheses turned out to be Chaka Khan, who just then, burst through the gate in a sleeveless red shirt and white skirt.

"I was wondering when she'd get here," said Buford. Meanwhile, the two singers continued singing that song. Was it really that long ago that they had sang it the first time? Because it sure felt like it.

_We'll make it back here (We'll make it back here)  
to where we began...(Oh...)_

Clay Aiken tossed his microphone to Buford, who emphatically sang the last line.

_Or at least that's the plan!_

* * *

"Okay," said Phineas. "I'm convinced. So, what are we going to do?"

"Really?" asked Candace. "Just like that?"

"Yeah. You never know whether or not you can do the impossible unless you try, right? It's like a test: if you're telling the truth, then I'll be able to do the impossible, and if you all just have an overactive imagination, I won't be able to do the impossible. Simple, right?"

"Uhh, sure!" Candace answered. "Anything to get you to work with us."

"Wait," interjected Buford. "How will you know how to do the impossible?"

"I don't know," replied Phineas. "I'd guess that it'll just come naturally. That is, if I can actually do the impossible."

"It's like the song says," Clay Aiken pointed out. "You just have to believe. You did it last time. I think."

"Last time?" Phineas asked.

"Yeah," said Chaka Khan. "Something about traveling around the world in a day. We sang pretty much the same song, but I came dressed as that guy," she pointed to Ferb, "And he was dressed as you."

On _he_ and_ you_ she pointed to Clay Aiken and Phineas, respectively.

"Well," said Phineas. "I guess I believe." This was getting weirder and weirder with every word said.

"Great," said Candace. "Now, who's getting Suzy?"

Everyone turned to look at Candace. She groaned in disgust. "Do I have to?"

Everyone hastily nodded. Buford especially.

Muttering under her breath, Candace turned, and walked inside to fetch the little girl.

As it turns out, however, the little girl didn't need to be fetched, sliding open the door to the backyard just as Candace walked up.

"Hey guys," she said sweetly. "Whatcha doin'?"

* * *

_Cue cutaway_

* * *

Isabella's eyes flew open, and she jolted awake, throwing her body up so that she was sitting upright on her cot.  
"I sense a disturbance in the force," she said ominously, wiping the sweat off her face.  
"I think somebody has stolen my catchphrase."

* * *

_End cutaway_

* * *

Once again, the fence gate was pushed open, and Adyson, Gretchen, Katie, Milly, and Holly walked through.

"Hey, have you seen Isabella?" asked Adyson. "There's supposed to be a Fireside Girl meeting right now, but she's not here. We figured she might be trying to, you know, help. With Phineas."

"Who are you?" the aforementioned boy asked. "And what are the Fireside Girls?"

"So the rumors are true," Katie whispered to the other girls. "Phineas has really lost all his memories."

"I heard that," Phineas said loudly.

"Actually, Isabella's what we need to talk about." Buford stepped int before an all out brawl could begin. As much as he would have enjoyed watching it, there were more pressing matters.

The Fireside Girls turned to look at Buford. "What do you mean?"

"You see, Isabella's been kidnapped," Buford explained. "Ginger too, if any of you were wondering."

The Fireside Girls gasped. "What?!"

Suzy, however, shrugged it off. "Whatever. The police can take care of it."

"They also got Jeremy," Candace said.

Suzy whirled around in a heartbeat, to once again face the group. "I'm in."

"Count me in, too" said Candace, although she was wincing slightly at the thought of joining forced with Suzy.

"Me too," agreed Phineas. "As a test, of course."

"We'll do whatever we can to help," said Holly, speaking for all the Fireside Girls.

Ferb held his thumbs up, signaling that he was with Buford.

"Great," said Buford. "Now, I think they're all being held captive at that purple building downtown. You know, the one that says Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. But beyond that-" Buford paused.

"Yeah, I got nothing," he finally admitted, reluctantly.

It was then that Ferb decided to speak.

"I have an idea," he said, his British accent only adding to the dramatic effect of the matter. "Gather around, my friends."

Everyone rushed into the huddle.

"So, here's the plan..."

* * *

**Yeah, I needed another chapter to set up the story. Are you intrigued? Next chapter, and for that matter most of the rest of the story, will be the action/adventure that I have the story listed under, and I'm sure you're all expecting. Actually, it's only listed under that because I have no idea what genre these first chapters fall into. It's not quite drama, by no means horror, only the cliffhangers are suspense, there's not much of a mystery or romance, nor have I included any science fiction beyond the shows limit. For that matter, there's hurt, but not comfort, and no real family bonding. So I said general. Please read and review. Especially if you enjoy. Thanks.**


	12. Operation: Cupcake

**I guess it's too evil even for me to make you wait months for the next chapter of this. It's been too eagerly anticipated. Not to worry, though, I have no ownership over Phineas and Ferb. And the song from the last chapter was basically the same song that Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan sang in Summer Belongs To You. I couldn't think of a sing for this chapter, though. Even though, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**No POV:**

"I have to hand it to you, I am quite a good builder. Though I wouldn't call a cloaking device impossible..."

"Are you kidding? That's technology way beyond what we have today!"

"What? Microscopic video cameras and TVs linked together to make a cloak? They did it in _Harry Potter_. Hmm... I'll give you half credit."

"Whatever. Are you ready, or are you not?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm ready."

"Excellent. Operation: Cupcake is a-go."

* * *

_Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!_

A ding, like that of a doorbell, could be heard over the sound of the evil jingle.

"Ugh..." Doofenshmirtz grumbled, looking up from his latest inator, which he was just painting the finishing touches on.

"Who could possibly be interrupting my evil schemes at this hour?"

_Ding-dong!_

The doorbell rang again, only further unnerving Doofenshmirtz. Mumbling to himself, he got up and began the walk to the door, taking advantage of the trip to double-check that all the prison cells were secure and the prisoners were fine. Oh, and of course to make that all the traps were fully functional.

So, as he decided to do, Doofenshmirtz walked past all the cells, making mental notes on the prisoner's status as he did so.

_Irving: asking, "why?" over and over. Excellent.  
Jeremy: sleeping - snores can be heard. Not bad.  
Stacey: attempting to communicate with Ginger. Understandable.  
Ginger: attempting to communicate with Stacey. Expected.  
Baljeet: humming some tune - Close Every Door? - to himself. Curious.  
Pinky: sleeping - as far as I can tell. Send robot arm to check him.  
Perry: scratching at the door, looking for a way out. He gets the robot arm first.  
Isabella: crying her eyes out. Perfect._

Pleased with the feedback from each of the cells, Doofenshmirtz double-checked that all the traps were fully functional, which they were, and finally, walked over to open the door and stop the incessant ringing. Whoever was at the door clearly wanted to see him badly.

He opened the door to find five girls, about eleven years old, each dressed up in a Fireside Girl uniform. Two of them were standing at the door, and the other three were standing behind them, dragging with them a large red wagon, filled with cupcakes.

"Fireside Girls," one of them said, introducing herself and the others. "Would you like some cupcakes?"

"No." Doofenshmirtz replied firmly. He wasn't going to be stopped by a mere dessert.

"Really? We have loads of flavors now. Ever since the success of our last cupcake sale, we were able to expand and make tons of new flavors, including all twenty-nine meatloaf based ones. All in all, we have almost a thousand flavors. I'm sure one of them will be perfect for you."

"Like I said, no," Doofenshmirtz insisted.

"All right, then," replied the Fireside Girl, turning around to face her companions. "Guess we're going to have to go with plan-"

"All right! All right! You talked me into it," said Doofenshmirtz, cutting off the Fireside Girl and handing her a few bills in cash.

"Great. Now, which flavors would you like?"

"What do you have?"

"Let's see, we have vanilla, chocolate, vanilla and chocolate swirl, lemon, lime, lemon-lime, strawberry, banana, strawberry banana, blueberry, raspberry, blue raspberry, cherry, cranberry, but not cherry cranberry, meat, loaf, meatloaf, caramel-"

"Alright. I've heard enough," Doofenshmirtz said. "I'll have vanilla. Six, please."

"Here you go, said the Fireside Girl, handing him the selected cupcakes.

Just as he was going to close the door, Doofenshmirtz thought of something.

"Hey, do you have any assortments?" he asked, handing one of the Fireside Girls a few more dollar bills.

"You know, batches of cupcakes with multiple flavors? I need something to feed my prisoner, and these cupcakes could do the trick."

"Sure!" said the girl, pulling out another list. "We have fruity, sweet, sour, spicy, sugary, glucose-free, nut-free, rainbow-"

"No, no, no." Doofenshmirtz said. "More disgusting. These are for the prisoners I have, you see."

"Oh," replied the Fireside Girl, her eyes turning down to the bottom of the list.

"Let's see, there's rotten meatloaf, semi-rotten meatloaf, rubber, fish, fish food, dog, dog food, bird, bird food, platypus, platypus food, cat, cat food, cat litter, vegetable, prison food-"

"Prison food," Doofenshmirtz said quickly, once again rudely interrupting the Fireside girl.

"Perfect. I'll take eight of those. Wait, no. Six prison food assortments, plus one dog food and one platypus food."

"Great," said the Fireside Girl, turning around to pick up the desired cupcakes from her friends and deliver them to Doofenshmirtz. "Here you go."

Doofenshmirtz took the cupcakes, and handed the Fireside Girl the rest of the money he owed.

Turning around to hand the money to another of her troop mates, the girl whispered, "Step one: Create a meaningless and unnecessarily long distraction that takes up most of this particular chapter, complete. Speaking of which, I also just completed step two: break the fourth wall."

Her four friends nodded in fierce agreement.

"Now, onto step three," said the first Fireside Girl, turning back to Doofenshmirtz. Unfortunately, the evil scientist heard this.

"Wait, step three? What is step three? And what happened to steps one and two?"

The Fireside Girl stopped whatever she may have been doing, her heart pounding. Fortunately, one of her friends in the back was able to cover for her.

"Step three is leave. Steps one and two were to ring your doorbell and sell you cupcakes."

That convinced Doofenshmirtz. Taking the cupcakes, he turned and closed the door.

The moment he was out of earshot, Adyson breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whew!" she said. "That was close. Good save, Gretchen."

"Of course," replied the other girl. "What are friends for?"

"So, what's next?" asked Milly.

"I believe we go to the lobby," answered Katie. "Where Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Buford, and Suzy are supposed to meet us with the rescued people. I hope they had enough cloaking devices to get everyone out unnoticed."

"They did really well getting into the apartment," commented Holly, the fifth and final Fireside Girl to speak. "Even I couldn't tell that they had snuck in."

A murmur of agreement passed through the rest of the Fireside Girls, as they pushed a button on the wagon, which promptly folded up into a small box.

Adyson picked up the box, put it in her pocket (yes, it was that small), and, seeing the out of order sign on the elevator, followed the rest of the Fireside Girls down the stairs to the lobby.

* * *

Holly pushed opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, and walked through, the other Fireside Girls right behind her.

"Huh," she commented. "I don't remember the lobby being this dark when we walked in here."

Gretchen stopped. "Wait, dark?"

But it was too late. A metal arm picked up all five of the Fireside Girls in one sweep, and dropped them into a cage in the middle of the room.

"That's because it's a trap," said Doofenshmirtz, switching the light on. "And if it wasn't dark, you would have seen it, hence ruining the trap."

"Yeah, we get it," said Katie. "No need to state the obvious."

"I always feel like explaining myself," explained Doofenshmirtz. "It's kind of my thing."

The Fireside Girls sighed.

"Amazing what you can do by putting a fake out of order sign on an elevator, huh? While you were walking down the stairs, I snuck down here in the elevator and set the trap. Just in time, too, might I add," Doofenshmirtz continued to explain (because, you know, it's his thing).

The evil scientist snapped his fingers, and the cage rolled into the elevator, followed by Doofenshmirtz. He pressed the button marked thirty-eight, and the elevator began ascending. _Gitchie Gitchie Goo_ could be heard playing faintly through the speakers in the top of the elevator.

Finally, Doofenshmirtz got tired of the silence. "So, I bet you're wondering how I kidnapped you."

Adyson sighed. There was nothing to stop him from doing more explaining now. And so, the evil scientist continued.

"I thought so. You see, when I closed the door and turned around, I was surprised to see that one of my traps had been activated, and five people were trapped in it. It was then that I realized that you were part of a scheme to rescue all my prisoners. I had no time to lose. So I took those four people - three of which were about your age, by the way, put them in their own cage, and used my private elevator to rush down here and set a trap."

Right on cue, the elevator's doors opened on the thirty-eighth floor, and Doofenshmirtz pushed the cage out of the elevator and into his apartment, where another robot arm (also his thing - he believed it was better than Norm, but he didn't have quite the resources necessary to make the robots he used last time) promptly picked up the Fireside Girls and dropped each of them in their own prison cell.

Doofenshmirtz laughed maniacally, as an evil villain might now.

"Now, all my enemies are captured, and nothing can stop me from taking over the Tri-State Area!"

It was like something out of a movie. At that moment, you could look at any one of the imprisoned people from a birds-eye view, and find them on their knees, staring up at you, screaming, "Nooooo!"

* * *

**Yeah, I get it. This chapter feels short. But I'll have you know that, minus the author's notes, this chapter brings my story past 100,000 characters, 20,000 words, 1,000 paragraphs, and 50 pages. Yep, believe it or not, all those landmarks were reached in this chapter. Oh, and in case you needed clarification, here's a brief synopsis of Operation: Cupcake. First, everyone built a few cloaking devices to render the wearer invisible. So, the Fireside Girls created a distraction for Doofenshmirtz, by selling cupcakes, while Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Buford, and Suzy snuck in and rescued the prisoners. Then they were supposed to meet the Fireside Girls in the lobby. But it didn't exactly go as planned. Hope you enjoyed! Oh, and please, read and review.**


	13. Trapped

**Hey everyone. How you been? I'm fine, thanks for asking. Oh, wait, before I post the next chapter, I need to say something. I don't own Phinews and Ferb. There! I said it! Happy now? Okay, next up, I need to say something. Enjoy the next chapter, because it's all you're getting. For now.**

* * *

**Phineas' POV:**

I thought for sure that it was going to work out perfectly. I don't know why, I mean, cloaking devices? Sure, they're possible, but it would be ridiculously hard to design, and the quality, I'd assume, would be poor, at best. If we could even assemble a fully functional cloaking device, we'd still be a long way from perfection in today's world.

So why, then, did I think it was going to work out perfectly? I really don't know. I just felt so... confident in my work. That it was really high-quality, and it could easily fool an untrained eye. Or even a trained one, for that matter. But... am I really that good? It's hard to imagine - an eleven year old kid can build what even the best engineers would call future technology. If you ask me, I'd say that it sounds a lot like the plot for a TV show.

Anyways, I felt confident that the cloaking devices were going to work. For some reason, i was sure that, somehow, we were going to successfully sneak into his apartment undetected, pick the lock on the prison doors, free everyone, and sneak out before he noticed. We had everything planned out, right down to who would rescue whom.

Suzy asked - no, demanded to save Jeremy. Candace, although she immediately said Jeremy when the question came up, succumbed to Suzy's demands and rather opted to rescue Stacey and her sister Ginger. Buford decided to rescue Baljeet and, since no one else would, Pinky as well. Ferb was told to free Irving and Perry, which left me with Isabella.

Buford, however, failed to mention the traps. Whether he decided not to, or merely forgot, I have no idea. Perhaps he didn't even know there would be traps. Whatever the reason, it is neither important nor relevant right now. We have a more pressing task at hand.

We had barely taken five steps into the room when the ground silently disappeared underneath us, and we began falling. Then, when we finally hit the ground, the trapdoor promptly closed, shutting out all light. Next thing I know, a robot arm was picking us up one by one and dropping us into different cells.

And now, I'm trapped in one such cell, the same kind, I'd guess, in which everyone else is contained. That's quite a long list, if you think about it. Stacey, Irving, Jeremy, Ginger, Pinky, Isabella, Baljeet, Perry, Suzy, Buford, Ferb, Candace, Adyson, Gretchen, Katie, Holly, Milly, and me. Sixteen people, and two pets. Why this guy still lives in an apartment, I have no idea. With the funding, resources, and building capabilities he must have, it's hard to figure out why he lives in such a place. But, once again, there's a more pressing matter.

How do we get out of this mess?

* * *

**No POV:**

Doofenshmirtz stepped back, and took a good look at his work. That feeling of relief he got every time he finished an inator was flowing through him again. That was because he had, obviously, finished his latest inator.

Out of resources and money from the kidnap-inator, robot arm, and jail cells, Doofenshmirtz had to resort to building this one out of leftover parts from previous inators. Now all he needed was someone to use it on. And the perfect subjects were in the very same room. Doofenshmirtz smiled at the evil of it all.

He pulled a remote out of his pocket and pushed a button. Many screams could be heard from all the jail cells, as the ground opened up underneath the prisoners, and they fell into darkness. The evil scientist then pushed another button, which caused the floor in the center of the room to ominously open, and reveal, on a rising platform, all the prisoners in a single cage.

"Who are you?" Irving screamed, rattling the bars of the cage. "And what do you want with us?"

"Irving!" Baljeet yelled, so he could be heard over the shaking of the cage.

"Calm down!"

Irving, having heard Baljeet, calmed down. He turned to get his first sight of another person in... a long time. Going almost two days without seeing another face was a long time, right?

One of the first things he noticed upon seeing them, and indeed the most noticeable feature, was how incredibly frail Isabella looked, especially since she was standing right next to Phineas, who had only been imprisoned for a few hours. For that matter, it was scary to see how any of the prisoners who had been trapped for days looked in comparison to someone who had only been trapped for hours. It was hard to notice while it was happening, but now, it was plain to see how little Doofenshmirtz worried about his prisoners.

"Wow," Isabella said, having realized the same thing as Irving. "All of a sudden, I feel so..."

"Weak," Ginger finished her sentence. "We're... we're nothing."

"How could I not notice it?" asked Jeremy. "I... I was feeling fine, but now that I can see you, I..." he trailed off, but nobody needed him to finish his sentence. They all knew what he was going to say.

Stacey, on the other hand, was trying to focus on the bright side. It was her belief that there was a good side to everything, and that held true even in this situation.

"It's good to see you guys again," she said. "You don't know how much I missed you."

There followed a moment of happiness, hugging, and reunion, as everyone temporarily forgot about their worries and just enjoyed each other's presence. As brief as it was - no more than a minute - that moment felt timeless to all the prisoners.

It ended when Doofenshmirtz spoke.

* * *

"Well, well, well," the evil scientist said. "If it isn't everyone who toppled my regime earlier this summer."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Phineas stated, unaware that such words held true for everyone. Well, almost everyone.

"Sure you do," said Doofenshmirtz, spitting at Phineas while he did so. "Because I remember you."

"Yeah, well, I don't remember you, so you might as well let me go, right?"

"Oh, no," replied Doofenshmirtz firmly. "I have a bone to pick with you."

Phineas turned to Ferb. "What is he talking about?"

Ferb shrugged.

"Really? You don't know, either?"

Ferb nodded.

"What about you, Isabella?"

"I have no clue," she said.

"Me neither," added Candace.

"Nope." It was Baljeet this time.

"Got nothin'." Buford.

"I haven't even seen this guy before." Irving.

Everyone was agreeing with each other - this guy was unfamiliar to almost everyone, and nobody understood why he held a special grudge against Phineas.

"Wow," said Phineas, hearing all this. "And I thought I was the only one with memory issues."

Finally, Stacey spoke up. It was too late to continue hiding the truth, after all.

"Yeah, everyone kind of got zapped with an amnesia-inator, so nobody can remember meeting this guy."

"And why is that?"

"Well, you kinda all discovered that Perry was a secret agent," Stacey explained. "It was either that, or see him relocate to another family. That day, you know, the one you can't remember, is when you met this guy, and had to save the Tri-State Area from being taken over by him."

"Yes..." said Doofenshmirtz, both thankful and annoyed that Stacey had taken care of the backstory for him. "And now, I plan to take over the Tri-State Area again, but this time, I won't fail."

"We'll see about that," Isabella said defiantly.

"Yes, we will," agreed Doofenshmirtz. "And guess what? This time, you guys are going to help me take over the Tri-State Area!"

"No." Phineas stated. It was as simple as that. No. There was no way they were going to help Doofenshmirtz conquer these people. No.

"Oh, yes..." said Doofenshmirtz, reaching into his lab coat.

He whipped out a sock puppet, held it up right next to the cage, and, with really bad ventriloquism skills, said, "Take over the Tri-State Area!"

"No."

"I see how this is going," said Doofenshmirtz, because he really did see where it was going, and was prepared for it. He walked away, and came back dragging his latest inator behind him.

* * *

"See this?" he began. "It's my latest inator. The thing is, after building the kidnap-inator, robot arm, and those jail cells, I didn't exactly have the money to build something that would help me take over the Tri-State Area. So I had to use parts from previously destroyed inators, like the..." Doofenshmirtz racked his brain, trying to remember what his counterpart called them.

"The ultimate-evil-inator!" he said, recalling that one first. Then he remembered the others. "Oh, yeah! And the duplicate-inator! And also some mind control device, I can't for the life of me figure out what he called it."

"And..." Stacey said, urging him on, which she believed served two purposes. First, it bought everyone time to figure out how to escape, and second, they could figure out Doofenshmirtz's evil plan.

"I call it the ultimate-evil-duplicate-inator!" Doofenshmirtz said, pulling the tarp off of it with a flourish.

"I know, not much of a name, but... I was having writer's block!" explained Doofenshmirtz, patting himself on the back for coming up with that excuse.

"I bet you're wondering how it works," the evil scientist continued. "Well I'll tell you. You see, I shoot you like this-" he pulled a remote out of his pocket and pushed the button. The inator fired a single green laser, which hit everyone in the cage.

"And it creates an evil clone of you, which comes out right here."

Doofenshmirtz pressed another button on the remote, which dramatically opened a door on the side of the inator. At first, all you could see was white smoke spewing out of it, but soon, a shadow became visible, and later, human figures, as they walked out of the door.

Everyone gasped. Walking out of the inator was Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, Stacey, Perry, Pinky, Jeremy, Suzy, Irving, Gretchen, Holly, Katie, Milly, Ginger, and Adyson. Yet they were all still trapped behind the bars of the cage.

"Are they..." Phineas said, stammering. "Evil?"  
Doofenshmirtz opened his mouth to speak, but the other Phineas beat him to it.

"Allow me to explain," he said, an evil grin on his face.

Jeremy - the evil one - struck a chord on his guitar, Buford (also the evil one) pulled out a piccolo and played a note, and Phineas began singing, with the other evil boys (except for Doofenshmirtz) dancing in the back.

_I used to put up with too much aggravation_

At this, Phineas pointed accusingly at Candace.

_But take a look at me now, I got a new vocation,_

The other evil boys (Ferb, Baljeet, and Irving) began singing now.

_If you're wondering why  
Well, it's because we love it,  
Being evil..._

At this, Doofenshmirtz threw in two words. _They're evil!_

_We're evil for the fun of it!_

Evil Phineas went back to singing solo.

_If you're looking for trouble  
Well, I think you've found it.  
Not even my mom  
Can tell me that I'm grounded_

And, once again, the other evil boys joined in.

_Some kids have been told that they're bad  
We rise above it  
'Cause we're evil...  
They're evil!_ (Once again, another interjection on Doofenshmirtz's part)  
_We're evil for the fun of it, yeah_

Now, Phineas wasn't even singing, just talking.

_That's right,  
We're evil for the fun of it!  
Tell 'em all about it, girls!_

It was now that all the evil girls joined in, entering the scene in two lines, coming from opposite ends of the stage. At the center, Candace, Stacey, and Isabella (the evil ones, of course) began singing.

_We've been looking for some upgrades  
We're an evil group of all trades  
You want badness? 'Cause we've got it in spades  
Right down to the leather and shades_

The girls continued singing, as the Fireside Girls and boys joined in for the final chorus.

_If you're wondering why_  
_Well, it's because we love it_  
_Being evil..._  
Doofenshmirtz put in yet a third interjection:_ They're evil!  
We're evil for the fun of it!  
We're evil for the fun of it!_

"And... scene." Buford said, as everything turned black.

* * *

_Meanwhile, elsewhere in the multiverse..._

* * *

"Okay, are you guys all ready?"  
"Ready as we'll ever be, I guess."  
"Great. Now, let's go kick some robot chassis. The other dimension needs our help."

* * *

**Man. Now that's what I call a cliffhanger. I love this chapter. One of my better parodies, too (I borrowed Evil For Extra Credit - Where's Perry, pt. 1 for this). Ooh, I'm getting tingly just anticipating reactions, and reviews. So many questions to be answered. What will happen? Will they be freed? Where's Doofenshmirtz (from the first dimension)? What was Baljeet talking about in Chapter 10 (Reflections)? What will my next story be? Where's Perry (well we already know that one)? Will Phineas get his memory back? Is there a happy end? The answered to these questions, and more, in future updates. Please read and review if you would like those to happen.**


	14. A Second Chance

**Man, this story is getting intense! Bet you're all dying for this chapter; that was a ****_killer _****cliffhanger in the last chapter. Good news. This chapter's finally here! And it doesn't have nearly as bad of an ending! Hey, I would know, I wrote it. What I don't know, however, is the lyrics to that upcoming Phineas/Isabella song (I've heard rumors that the word Phinbella is in it, but nothing certain on that yet). I don't own Phineas and Ferb (you don't say...). Oh, and cudos to those who can figure out the song in this chapter. Yes, I used a Phineas and Ferb song for it, but I changed all but like, one line (And only three more - maybe - are partially changed. But the tune was ****_perfect._**** I couldn't resist).**

**That being said, enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Isabella's POV:**

If this situation isn't hopeless, it's about as close as you can get. Not only are we trapped in a cage with no means of escape, this Doofenshmirtz guy is going to use the evil clones he made of us, and, knowing us, he could very well be in full control of the Tri-State Area before the sun goes down.

"You know, those clones could very easily become self-aware right now, and it wouldn't be you in control of the Tri-State Area."

It was Phineas, arguing again. Even in this situation, that boy refuses to admit defeat. I smiled. Some things never change.

"Don't you think I thought of that?" said Doofenshmirtz, turning back to look at Phineas. "Why else would I need leftover parts from the mind control device? So they won't become self-aware."

"I don't know," said Phineas, continuing to resist what everyone else knew as a fact. "From what I've seen of us, we can do great things."

Now, the evil Phineas walked up to him. "Why would I ever disobey Master Doofenshmirtz?" he said.

"Because you can do so much better," replied Phineas. Whatever he had in mind, it had better be good, because I'd much rather see Doofenshmirtz in control than an evil Phineas. Mostly because I can't imagine Phineas being evil, yet here he was, before my very eyes.

"Do you ever disobey your mom?" retorted the other Phineas. The evil Phineas.

"Umm... I don't think so," replied the good one.

"Even though you can do so much better?"

Finally, Phineas - the good one - conceded. I guess he couldn't argue against his own logic.

"I see your point," he said, ending the conversation.

The evil Phineas smiled, having won the argument, and went back to plotting with his master, Doofenshmirtz.

The good Phineas, on the other hand, sighed, and turned around, so he was facing me. He sat down.

"It's no good," he said. "I can't even remember three days of my life, and all I'm going to spend those days doing is helplessly watching Doofenshmirtz take over the Tri-State Area."

I looked at him, unsure of what to say.

"You know," he said, looking up at me. "It's Isabella, right?"

I nodded, grateful that Phineas could remember at least that much.

"You know, Isabella, up until recently, I've been arguing with myself on whether I was happy or sad about getting amnesia. You have to admit, it can be a little strange, having a green-haired stepbrother, a pet platypus, and everyone expecting you to do the impossible. I mean, it's certainly not an ordinary life."

I nodded, finally seeing the point he was making. It's no wonder he was acting the way he did the other day.

"And for a while then, I thought that it was good news, getting amnesia. It gave me a chance to start over."

I looked at him again, my eyes full of worry.

Phineas continued speaking. "But seeing all of you again, all at once, that fills me with a warmth that I... I can't quite explain. It makes me certain, more than ever, that I wouldn't give up my old life, whatever it may have been. I'm sure now that I wouldn't have given it up for anything in the world."

I smiled, truly happy for the first time in... in a long time.

"But now I can't have that life, can I?" Phineas said. "I made my choice too late."

Before I could say anything, Phineas reached into his pocket, and pulled out something.

"This is for you," he said, putting the object into my hand.

I gasped. In my hand was that bracelet I had given him. It felt like such a long time ago, yet it was only the other day.

"Thank you for falling in love with me," Phineas said, quoting the bracelet, which, in turn, was a quote from myself.

"Without that love, I'm not sure if I could have made that decision at all. Look at all your friends."

I did as he said, slowly looking around the room. All around me sat Ferb, Baljeet, Ginger, Gretchen, Candace, Stacey, Jeremy, Pinky, Perry, Buford, Katie, Holly, Adyson, and Irving.

"Just one look at them, and you can tell they love you," Phineas said. "Each and every one of them."

It was hard to disagree with that statement.

"I don't see how anyone can lose faith with that kind of support." Phineas finished.

I began to tear up. Those words, that message. It was so touching. Phineas wrapped his arms around me.

"Love is an incredibly underused word these days," he whispered. "Such a simple one, yet it means so much to anyone who hears it. People need to use it more often."

Once again, Phineas left me speechless.

"Nobody understands how much a simple I love you can mean to anyone. It doesn't even have to be that special someone in your life, it can be a complete stranger who you've barely met. But when you tell them I love you, their hearts fill with joy, with hope. The world would be a much better place if people said that more often."

Finally, I found myself able to speak. "I love you," I said, looking Phineas in the eye. After that speech, there wasn't much else to say.

"I know," Phineas replied. "I love you, too."

And we hugged again, smiling.

* * *

**No POV:**

"All done!" announced the evil Phineas. Everyone gathered around as Phineas put a small bag in their hand, saying something about weapons to each of them as he did so.

"Great," said Doofenshmirtz, once he received his bag. "Now, let's take over the Tri-State Area!"

"Not if I can help it."

That voice came from neither the cage nor any of the supposedly evil clones. Yet it was immediately recognizable. Everyone, good and evil alike, spun around to see who the mysterious speaker was. But they could see nothing, only the shadows.

"Who said that?" yelled the evil Candace into the darkness.

"Who said what?" asked the unidentifiable, yet familiar, voice.

"That," Candace yelled again, quickly growing very scared.

"Ohh..." continued the voice. "You mean me."  
"Who are you?" the evil Phineas screamed, trying to hide his fear. "Show yourself!"

"If you insist," answered the voice. And he stepped out of the shadows.

That, however, did not make anyone less scared.

"Who are you?" the evil Phineas asked again, not believing his eyes.

"I'm you," replied Phineas - for that was the unidentifiable voice. "Just from another dimension. And I'm here to save myself."

"Ha!" Doofenshmirtz laughed, having already encountered these particular opponents before. "How can you expect to do that? There's only one of you!"

"Is there?" said the second dimension Phineas cryptically.

All around the evil group, people began stepping out of the shadows. All of them familiar faces, as well. Candace could be recognized, as well as Ferb, Isabella, Buford, and the Fireside Girls (although these particular ones preferred the title of Firestorm Girls). But that wasn't all, as Jeremy, Baljeet, and Perry revealed their presence as well. Already, they had the enemy surrounded.

"It looks like your luck has run out," said Candace (the one from the 2nd dimension).

And they charged.

* * *

Immediately, the evil clones took a defensive stance, forming a ring around Doofenshmirtz facing all directions. And, before any of the second dimension rescue team could make a move, the enemy struck.

It was the evil Phineas, who had stepped up as the ringleader of all the evil clones. With a flick of his hand, he sent a stream of air right at his second dimension counterpart, who, in turn, was sent flying into the wall. Then, before anyone else could retaliate, he downed Ferb in a similar manner.

It was then that the fight truly begun. Everyone from the other dimension had reached the evil clones, and were doing their best to neutralize them. The evil Phineas, however, was approaching the two stepbrothers he had downed only seconds earlier, both of whom were lying against a far wall. He raised his hand for a finishing blow, a staff materializing in it as he did so.

"This is it," he said, victoriously. "The end of the great Phineas Flynn."

Before striking the stepbrothers, however, the evil Phineas hesitated, as if he was just realizing something. "It's ironic, isn't it," he began. "How I'm the harbinger of my own destruction, technically speaking?"

He didn't wait for a response, and swung his staff towards the two brothers. He never reached them.

Out of nowhere, another wooden staff appeared, preventing the evil Phineas from hitting his alternate self.

"Nobody touches my brothers," a very mad Candace said.

Phineas' clone didn't miss a beat. "Well, it looks like I'm going to take care of the whole family tonight," he said, lifting his staff and turning it towards Candace.

"You will try," Candace replied, finding no better words to say than that _Star Wars_ quote. And she attacked.

Phineas proved to be quite capable with a bow staff, blocking Candace's first flurry of attacks without too much trouble. He then launched a quick counterattack, swinging his staff at Candace's legs.

The teenage girl, however, saw the blow coming, and leaped into the air, performing a flip over Phineas. In midair, she tried to make contact with his head, but the younger boy ducked, and the staff swung harmlessly over his head.

As soon as Candace landed, Phineas spun around, letting loose another of those jet streams of air that had sent his alternate selves flying. But Candace was quick, sidestepping, avoiding the shot completely. The shot, as it turns out, knocked the evil Buford off of his second dimension counterpart, and the two continued fighting.

Phineas shrugged, and lunged at Candace again.

This time, however, it was Candace defending Phineas' relentless string of attacks, all of which were only enhanced by the other gadgets Phineas had on hand, and was attacking Candace with whenever he had the chance.

Eventually, Candace found the time to pull a smoke grenade from her jacket, and let it go. While the evil Phineas was trying to clear the smoke, Candace used her grappling hooks to pull herself up towards the ceiling. Then she let go, falling right on top of Phineas.

She missed. As soon as she touched the evil Phineas, his image faltered, then disappeared completely.

"Hologram," Phineas explained, stepping out of the shadows. He then proceeded to strike Candace on the head, knocking her out.

* * *

When Candace came to, she found herself trapped in a cage. Indeed, she was trapped in the same cage as everyone from the first dimension. Looking around, however, she saw not only her friends from the first dimension, but her own dimension as well.

Behind her, she heard a soft chuckle. Spinning around, she saw the evil Phineas.

"Funny," he said. "I expected more of a challenge from you."

With that, he locked the cage, and turned away.

Defeated, Candace sighed, and turned around.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We couldn't do it," replied the Isabella from her dimension. "The fight was over not long after Phineas knocked you out. They were just too strong. At best, we delayed them a few hours by destroying their equipment."

"And our best just wasn't enough," finished Candace, gravely.

"It's okay," Candace - the one from this dimension - said. "You tried."

"No," insisted the Phineas from the other dimension. "It's not okay."

And, for some inexplicable reason, he began singing.

_Well, I don't know how to say it  
So I'll just try and relay it  
Can we ever be okay if  
Everything has gone so wrong?_

At this point, the Isabella from the second dimension joined in, echoing Phineas' words.

_Should we still keep on believing?  
Find a goal; try and achieve it?  
Have we yet to be defeated?  
Can we still keep going strong?_

The second dimension Candace, who had a knack for understanding the situation quickly, also began singing now.

_But we didn't win the war  
And it feels like before  
That we could have, yes, we should have  
Done much more..._

As the song escalated, the rest of the people from the second dimension joined in.

_Put my heart into the fight,  
But though I fought with all my might,  
Everything didn't work out right,  
I'm feeling helpless like before..._

_Don't want to sound too stoic  
But right now, I just don't know if  
I can be that great heroic  
Kid the world's asking for..._

At this point, the singers faded out again, leaving just the Candace and Isabella from the second dimension to finish it.

_Don't know how I can help...  
Don't know how I can help...  
Don't know how I can help..._

_Don't know how I can help... (I don't know how I can help...)  
Don't know how I can help... (I don't know how I can help out...)  
Don't know how I can help... (I don't know how I can help now...)_

_I don't know...  
Don't know how I can help  
...how I can help you guys._

And everyone, even those from the first dimension, felt the same way. Helpless.

* * *

Of course, Doofenshmirtz chose this moment to drag the ultimate-evil-duplicate-inator over to the cage again.

"I just realized I can make evil clones out of you guys, too," he said, looking in the general direction of the characters from the other dimension.

And he fired.

* * *

**And that's another long chapter. Believe it or not, the last five chapters of this story (including this one) are the five longest of the story, though not in the same order posted (chapter 10 - reflections - still holds the record by almost triple). Oh, to those of you who caught on to my cliffhanger in the last chapter, and figured out the second dimension was comin to save them, did you ever think they would fail? Ha! Another twist! How will they escape now? Will they escape? Cudos to anyone who can answer those questions before I can reveal all.**

**Additional. Does anyone other than me know what happened to Doofenshmirtz (from the first dimension?)**

**Additional Additional. Did anyone else like that Phinbella moment at the start of the chapter?**

**Additional Additional Additional. Please - ****_please_**** - read and review.**


	15. All But Lost

**Wow. Just wow. I just realized that my original draft for this listed this chapter as the epilogue. But the battle's not even half over. I'm continuing to impress myself with my abilities. The song from the last chapter, by the way, is a rewrite of "Only Trying To Help", the Candace/Isabella duet from Mission Marvel. The song in this chapter, however, has absolutely nothing to do with Phineas and Ferb. At least, until I sat down and changed the lyrics a bit. If you can identify the song, great! (I seriously doubt it, though. But then, you guys never fail to impress me). Now, before I can start continuing the story, there's one more thing I absolutely have to say. The disclaimer. Because, no matter how badly I wish otherwise, I don't own Phineas and Ferb. And probably never will. Now, enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Phineas' POV:**

As faithful and hopeful as a may have felt before, now I feel nothing. I was hoping beyond all hope for a miracle. A savior. I thought I found one in my alternate self (I'm told that he's from another dimension, but only Stacey seems to have any recollection of it), but even he and his gang couldn't stop them. Yes, there was a miracle. But it didn't work out right. We didn't escape. We didn't save the day.

Before they made themselves known, I spoke to Isabella about love. How it can mean anything from a kind word to a wedding ring. About how it can keep you going, even through your darkest moments. If you have love, I said, you have faith. You have the ability to keep pushing forward. The strength to hope. The courage to make a stand. But right now, I can see that that's not entirely true.

I can tell that everyone else in the same cage as me loves me, supports me, and I love them all, too. I think. But none of us have the ability to keep pushing forward. The strength to hope. The courage to make a stand. Right now, love is as useless as we are. Nothing can save us.

* * *

**No POV:**

"We're doomed," Irving said, for the millionth time in a row. "Doomed I tell you."

"We know," replied Phineas-2. "But we can't do anything about it. We - they - are just too strong."

"I know," responded Irving. "That's why we're doomed."

"Would you please quit saying that?" Candace-2 screamed. "We all know that we're doomed. There's no need to tell the world!"

Irving jumped, unnerved by her sudden screams, and do as he was told.

"It's about time he did that," Candace-2 muttered under her breath.

"So, let me get this straight," Isabella said, still trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"You guys are from another dimension."

Isabella-2 nodded affirmative. "Yep."

"One day, we came over to your dimension and found it ruled by that Doofenshmirtz over there."

"So far, so good," said Buford-2.

"And we saved your dimension, but got our memories erased."

"Apparently," confirmed Jeremy-2.

"And now, somehow, the Doofenshmirtz that took over your dimension is in our dimension, trying to take it over."

"That seems like the plan."

"And he's using evil clones of ourselves to do it."

"That's what it looks like."

"Great," said Isabella, finally understanding. "So how can we stop it?"

"I don't know," replied Phineas-2. "That's what we came over to do. Obviously, we failed."

"So now we're trapped, and have front row seats to watch Doofenshmirtz take over the Tri-State Area."

"Pretty much," Phineas-2 said.

"Okay," Isabella continued. "I think I get it, but I still have one question."

"What?"

"What happened to the Doofenshmirtz from our dimension?"

"Funny you should ask that," a new, unfamiliar voice said, loud enough for not only the people in the cage, but the evil clones as well, to hear. Instinctively, the evil clones formed their defensive stance around Doofenshmirtz-2.

"Who said that?" asked Isabella, startled by the response she got.

"I did," replied Doofenshmirtz (yes, the one from the first dimension), stepping out of the shadows.

"You see, when Perry the Platypus foiled my evil scheme the other day, my switch-place-inator hit me, and I switched places with that Doofenshmirtz."

"Is that what happened?" asked Doofenshmirtz-2.

"Yep," came the response. "So I got stuck in the prison cell that they were keeping you in. You know, the one that they keep under guard twenty-four/seven."

Doofenshmirtz-2 shuddered at the memory.

"So when you suddenly disappeared, and I appeared in your place, the Firestorm Girls knew something was up, and when I told them what happened, they built a portal over here, assembled a rescue team, and came to recapture you. It's good to see that you beat them. Now we can take over the Tri-State Area together!"

"Yeah..." replied Doofenshmirtz-2, sarcastically. "Together."

And everyone went back to work.

* * *

Out of all the people trapped in the cage, nobody felt worse than Isabella. Phineas was as important to her as he was to Ferb, and she also had to deal with getting kidnapped, and being in such a frail state. She decided to push those thoughts aside, though, and focused on other things.

"Is it true, Phineas?" she asked. "What you said about love?"

"I'm not sure," replied Phineas. "I'm just not sure."

"But..." said Isabella, hoping for the best. "You do love me, right?"

"I'm sure you already know the answer," Phineas began. "I just don't know. I can't remember anything. But it feels right. My heart's telling me I should love you. But then again, my heart's telling me I should love everyone here."

Isabella decided to treat that response as positive feedback. She took another look at the bracelet on her wrist. The one she made for Phineas.

"You want to know what happened?" she asked him. After holding in her sorrow for so long, she was on the verge of snapping. On the breaking point. Seeing her second dimension counterparts fail just about pushed her over the edge. She needed to let it all out. Somehow.

Phineas seemed to get all of that out of one look at her face.

"It's okay," he said, pulling Isabella into a hug. "Let it all out. I'm here for you."

Softly, so softly that only Phineas could hear anything, Isabella sang.

_From my house, from where we came  
Built a city in a day  
But our luck was not to last  
So we watched Paris collapse  
Looked to my boyfriend_

_Then Doofenshmirtz was overhead  
I woke up in a prison bed  
My boyfriend lost his memories  
It was the worst day for me  
So I sat down and I cried  
I sat down and I cried_

_Stolen away, I'm pulled to war  
In a desperate last resort  
I couldn't take it anymore  
Still it drifted in from distant shores  
Dumb luck presents a change of course  
A second reckoning of sorts  
But, alas, we had no more  
Luck than we ever did before_

_If the days had followed different paths  
We'd be in a city built to last  
From under the tree we would see  
Endless possibilities  
Down the road and back_

_But that beam of light still hit his head  
And my dream was a nightmare instead  
My boyfriend lost his memories  
It was the worst day for me  
So I sat down and I cried  
I sat down and I cried_

_Taken away, I'm pulled to war  
In a desperate last resort  
I couldn't take it anymore  
Still it drifted in from distant shores  
Dumb luck presents a change of course  
A second reckoning of sorts  
But, alas, we had no more  
Luck than we ever did before_

* * *

Isabella was crying as she finished the song. Phineas, on his part, was speechless. The song, as upbeat as it's tune was, spoke wonders about how defeated Isabella felt. If anything, the song was about facing facts.

The fact that he had no memories.

The fact that Isabella was kidnapped.

The fact that their initial rescue attempt failed.

The fact that the second dimension had also tried, and failed, to save the day.

And, most haunting of all, the fact that they had lost. There was no way out. Doofenshmirtz-2 had won. Phineas, and everyone else, had lost.

So the young redhead took another look around him. He saw Ferb, staring at him, eyes wide with worry. He saw Candace, crying her eyes out to Jeremy. He saw Perry, his hat pulled over his eyes, in a defeated manner. And he saw Isabella, still crying, still hugging him.

Looking at that, it was plain to see that there were no two ways around it. Facts were facts. They had lost. The Tri-State Area would, once again, fall to Doofenshmirtz-2.

At least, it was that way until Phineas jumped up, forcing Isabella's arms off of him.

"Ferb!" he yelled, and everyone perked up.

"I know what we're going to do today!"

* * *

**And that's that. Yeah, I know, another short chapter. Yeah, I know, another transitioning chapter, with nothing really important happening in it. But it's still a good read, right? Oh, and I probably should mention that I will be referring to the second dimension characters by using their name followed by a 2, like I did in this chapter. So please, read and review. It's the only reason I've been able to keep this story going so long. You know, it could be over by now. So, definitely read and review.**


	16. If Memory Serves

**Okay, I feel like this update is long overdue. But it got here in the end, right? I thought so, too. So, for those of you who are completely clueless, the song I used in the last chapter is called Speed the Collapse. It is by the band Metric. Now go look it up and listen to it, because believe it or not, I barely changed the lyrics there. You should also probably know this, but I need to say it anyways. I do not - repeat - do NOT - own Phineas and Ferb. But I do own this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

**No POV:**

Ferb looked at Phineas. Did he really just say those words?

"Did you really just say those words?" asked Irving. He was, obviously, thinking along the same lines as Ferb.

"Yes," Phineas replied, further startling everyone. "Yes I did."

"How did you know to say that?" Irving asked in shock.

"How could I forget?" The Phineas speaking now was a completely different person than the one that was crying only moments ago. In those moments, something had changed. Everybody had their own suspicions as to what. Most of these suspicions were the same.

"Gee, I don't know," said Candace sarcastically, doubting her suspicions. After all that has gone wrong, how could something like this finally go right?

"How about that green beam of light that hit you in the head?"

"Yeah, I know," replied Phineas. "Those were the worst days of my life. I wish so badly that I could take them back."

Isabella gasped. In a flash, Phineas whirled around to face her, and realized his mistake. "Not everything before that random green laser. Everything between then and now."

That didn't change the look on Isabella's face. But it did change the reason she had that look.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. _Could it be?_

"Really, I'm surprised you guys haven't figured it out yet. I can't not remember anymore!" Phineas said, the look of joy on his face revealing all.

But Candace-2 wasn't an optimist. She was a realist.

"How is that going to change our situation? We're still stuck in here with no way out, and-"

She was cut off by Phineas. "No way out? Are you kidding me? We've had a ticket out of here ever since we first got trapped."

"What, then?"

"Isabella!" Phineas exclaimed triumphantly.

"Um, Phineas?" Isabella began. "As much as I love seeing you with your memories back, I can't get us out of here."

"No," agreed Phineas. "But you know someone who can."

"I do?" Isabella asked.

"Yeah," answered Phineas.

"Who?"

Phineas opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it. "I prefer to remain mysterious," he said, unsure of where he got that quote from.

"Besides," he added, leaning in and lowering his voice to a whisper. "These walls have ears."

Phineas stood up straight again. "Candace? I'm gonna need your cell phone. I've got work to do."

* * *

_One hour later..._

* * *

"And... done!" Phineas exclaimed. He just finished building a contraption that bore a striking resemblance to a satellite dish.

"Cool! What is it?" Phineas-2 asked.

"You'll see," replied Phineas mysteriously. "Isabella?"

Isabella jumped up behind Phineas. "What?"

"I need you to hold this," Phineas said. "You're the only one who can broadcast a signal strong enough."

Isabella was confused, but she did as she was told. The satellite began to glow pink.

"It's not strong enough," Phineas muttered under his breath. "I need more cuteness."

He looked up at Isabella-2. "Can you come over and hold it, too?"

"Why?"

"Just trust me," said Phineas. "Please. Our fate depends on it."

_Well, if you put it like that,_ Isabella-2 thought, and she grabbed the contraption. Immediately, the already pink mechanism grew even pinker.

"That should do it," Phineas said, satisfied with the effects of the satellite dish.

"Do what?" Isabella asked.

"Call a friend," Phineas replied.

Then, out of nowhere, Phineas-2 appeared, grabbed the device, and smashed it into a million tiny pieces.

"What was that for?" Phineas screamed.

"No calls allowed," he answered. "Prison rule."

"But you know that-" Phineas stopped, realizing something. "Oh, wait. You're the evil one, aren't you."

Phineas-2 smiled, pressed a button on the remote he was holding, and vanished again. But his voice rang loud and clear through the prison.

"Yes. Yes I am."

Once they were certain the evil Phineas-2 was outside the cage, everyone gathered around the satellite dish.

"Build it again," Jeremy whispered urgently. "We'll protect you."

"You betcha," echoed Suzy.

Candace-2 shook her head. "Not enough time," she said. "We've only got about eleven minutes before they're finished rebuilding, and are set to take over the Tri-State Area. Face it, we've lost."

"I'm not sure," Phineas replied. "There's no way our friend could have missed the signal we did manage to get out, and he can usually get here within eleven minutes. It's just whether or not he decides to come."

"Who is this friend?" asked Baljeet, frustrated. "Why are you not telling us?"

"I might as well tell you now," answered Phineas. "It can't hurt us anymore."

And he burst into song.

* * *

_He's an extra-terrestrial super cute alien of action  
He's a furry little biped who'll never flinch from a fray  
He's got more than just mad skill  
He's got a 'stache to fit the bill  
And the women swoon whenever they hear him say...  
Meap!_

_He's Meap, Meap the cute alien  
Meap, Meap the cute alien_

_He can't communicate with us without his handlebar mustache  
He's got looks extreme, rainbow beams, and several cute-themed attributes  
He's the pinnacle of cute might  
And he's always up for a fight  
So when evil hears this sound it quakes in its boots  
Meap!_

_He's Meap, Meap the cute alien  
Meap, Meap the cute alien_

_He's got more than just mad skill  
He's got a 'stache to fit the bill  
And the women swoon whenever they hear him say...  
Meap!_

_He's Meap, Meap the cute alien  
Yeah, Meap, Meap the cute alien  
Talkin' 'bout Meap, Meap the cute alien  
Meap!_

* * *

On that last line, a rainbow came out of nowhere, and hit the cage, causing a massive explosion. When the dust cleared, a gaping hole was visible in the side.

"I knew you would find us!" exlaimed Phineas, as his alien friend Meap flew in, riding in his hot rod spacecraft.

Meap adjusted his mustache. "You guys had better get out of here. They're ready for you."

Indeed, the evil clones were ready for them. Already, they had noticed Meap's arrival, and were quickly closing in on him and the prisoners.

"I'll hold them off," Meap said bravely.  
Everyone hesitated, unsure of whether to leave their savior behind to fend for himself.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Meap asked. "GO!"

And the alien leaped into battle, alone.

Luckily for Meap, most of the enemies took after the fleeing prisoners, rather than himself. Both Doofenshmirtz and Doofenshmirtz-2 stayed behind, as well as evil Suzy, evil Baljeet-2, and evil Buford-2.

Meap fired a rainbow out of his mouth, which sent Buford-2 flying into a wall, knocking him out temporarily. The alien then rolled under Baljeet-2, avoiding his attempted blow completely. But he didn't have a moment to relax, for Doofenshmirtz was lunging at him. Springing onto his feet, Meap leaped over Doofenshmirtz, causing him to collide into his other dimension counterpart.

"You bumbling dummkopf, you," the one with the eyepatch could be heard screaming. "I'll get you for this later!"

Meap ignored that, however, and landed on his feet, only to find himself face to face with Suzy.

"Bubbles!" the little girl said, randomly. Then she jumped at Meap, who simultaneously did the same. All of a sudden, the two were flying through the air at each other, one leg extended, like a scene out of a half-hour episode (or an unexplainable clip from the credits of one). Then an explosion sounded throughout the apartment.

* * *

"Umm, Phineas?" Baljeet (the good one) asked, as everyone was fleeing from their evil doppelgängers. "Is this when you are supposed to open the case?"

"What case?" Phineas asked.

"You know, the one you made on the same day as Paris," Baljeet explained. As if that cleared up anything. Phineas still had no idea what he was talking about.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the triangle-headed boy said.

"Never mind," replied Baljeet. "Let us continue running."

Then Candace-2 offered a brilliant suggestion. "We should probably split up, as well."

Nobody needed to be told twice, as everyone immediately separated into groups of one or two people - it was easier to keep a bunch of smaller groups together than it was a single, larger one. Naturally, this caused the enemy to split as well, so that each small group was being chased after by a different clone (or group of clones). Of course, nobody tried to fight back. The clones were prepared to take over the Tri-State Area. What impact could a couple of kids have?

* * *

Isabella, unfortunately, was quickly running out of breath. She took another look behind her. Jeremy-2 was still pursuing her. The Fireside Girl rounded a corner, and dashed down another street, when out of nowhere, a hand reached out and grabbed her shirt, pulling her into a nearby alleyway.

Isabella started to scream, but another hand covered her mouth before she could make a sound.

"Shh," the voice whispered, urgently. "Nobody knows we're here."

Indeed, that mysterious voice spoke the truth, for just then, Jeremy-2 could be seen running past, apparently still in pursuit of the young girl.

Isabella turned around to see who had grabbed her, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was Phineas. The good one (she knew this because the evil one was sporting an impressive array of weapons, which this Phineas was noticeably lacking).

"Boy, am I glad to see you," she said.

"Me too," replied Phineas. "It's good to have you by my side."

That reminded Isabella of something. She reached for her pocket. "Speaking of which," she said. "Do you remember-"

"Falling in love with you?" Phineas finished. "How could I forget? It was that love that restored my memories!"

"What?" Isabella asked. She never yet had bothered to think how Phineas' memories were restored. Just that they were.

"Yeah," answered Phineas. "You sang that song, about the last few days, and it was tugging at so many memories. I mean, more than usual. And then I got a good look at Ferb, and Perry, and Candace, and remembered something. You know that day we can't remember? You know, the one from a few months back?"

Isabella nodded.

"Well," Phineas said. "On that day, there was a point when Ferb, Candace, Perry, the Doofenshmirtz from our dimension, and me were all chained together, headed to our doom. That was the first thing I remembered. Then, after that, I remembered what happened at the end of the day, right before we lost our memories of it."

"What?" Isabella asked.

"It's about you," he replied.

"Well, what happened then?"

"One of the best things ever," said Phineas, recalling the event, and knowing it was exactly what a Isabella wanted to hear (not that the statement was untrue for Phineas).

"What?" asked Isabella again, growing frustrated.

"I prefer to remain mysterious," Phineas said again. "But I'm sure there'll be another one just like it sometime soon."

Although he had considered showing Isabella what he meant right then and there, Phineas decided against it. The boy had seen quite a few romance movies in his lifetime, and the ones that had such a moment in a similar situation were always the cheesier ones. He didn't want this adventure to be cheesy.

"But after I remembered that," the redhead continued. "The floodgates opened. I suddenly remembered that whole day, and soon afterwards, everything else I forgot."

Isabella saw that Phineas didn't want to reveal that moment; that it was a secret to be known to him and him alone. And she knew that if Phineas really wanted to, he would never tell her, despite all of her persistence. So she stopped worrying about the subject, and switched into a different gear.

"So what are we going to do now?" she asked Phineas.

"I don't know," replied the boy, taking a look around. Almost instantaneously, however, his face lit up again.

"But now I do," he said, looking across the street. At a sign that read _Natural History Museum_.

"Come on. We've got no time to lose."

* * *

**Yeah, that's right. Something good for a change - the return of Phineas' memories. I got bored of having him clueless. Besides, I kind of need those memories for later chapters. Now, a few other things.**

**First, I will be seriously impressed if you guessed that Meap would save the day. Because, lets be honest here, you didn't. Nobody saw that coming. Second, what could Phineas and Isabella possibly be doing at the Natural History Museum? Third, what is Baljeet talking about? It's like, the third time he mentions the suitcase. I didn't say anything about a suitcase. Fourth, what sing did I use for this chapter? Fifth if you can answer any (or all) of the questions above, I will be seriously impressed (unless you answer the last question correctly. Then it's not as impressive). But these questions should be answerable now. Sixth, please read and review.**


	17. The Other Day

**Whew! I got another chapter of this out! I feel like I'm making no progress these days. And I don't like no progress. But hey, another chapter of this is just waiting to be read, right after the disclaimer.**

* * *

Phineas poked his head out of the alleyway and, **Hey! I said right after the disclaimer! That hasn't happened yet! Goodness me, these characters want their action. For their sake, I'll get the disclaimer out of the way as quickly as possible. Idon'townPhineasandFerb.**

* * *

**No POV:**

Phineas poked his head out of the alleyway and, very cautiously, looked to the right. Then to the left. The right again. Once he was absolutely sure that no one else could see him, he tiptoed across the street, with Isabella right behind him.

Poking their heads in the door of the Natural History Museum, Phineas and Isabella confirmed that it, too, was clear of any enemies that might be found.

So Phineas and Isabella walked into the museum, confident that it was free of any and all doppelgängers, then purposefully, they continued on towards the end of the hall.

It was only natural, then, that Jeremy-2 (the evil one) chose this moment to wander inside the museum, with the hopes that he might find Isabella before the evil Phineas, or the evil Phineas-2, found out that he had lost her. Luck was on his side. He began sprinting after the Fireside Girl, who, like Phineas next to him, was completely unaware of his presence. At least, until he slipped on a banana peel.

A loud _thud_ was heard as Jeremy-2 landed on the ground. He scrambled desperately for the invisibility device he had been given, hoping to activate it before Phineas and Isabella turned around. He found it too late.  
Phineas and Isabella spun around, wondering what that thud was. They saw the evil Jeremy-2.

"Uh-oh," said Phineas, as Jeremy-2 got up, his eyes filled with revenge. "Run!"

And that's what they did. Phineas and Isabella turned around, and made a mad dash for the end of the hall, Jeremy-2 only seconds behind.

"There!" Phineas screamed, pointing to the time machine. "Get on!"

Isabella didn't hesitate, leaping onto the device. Phineas followed moments after, knocking the lever as he did so. With a whiz and a spark, the time machine swung from the present day to the mists of the past, leaving Jeremy-2 behind to await their return.

* * *

Isabella breathed a sigh of relief when the time machine came to a stop. "That was close."

"Yeah," agreed Phineas, plucking a knife (thrown desperately by Jeremy-2) out of the fabric between the kids' heads. "A little too close for my taste."

"So where are we?" Isabella asked. "Or should I say, _when_ are we?"

"A day you deserved more of," replied Phineas.

Isabella was puzzled. "Huh?"

"Come on," said Phineas, getting out of the time machine. "You'll see."

So Isabella got up, and followed Phineas out of the museum. Across one street, down the next. A left turn here, then a right. Eventually, Phineas pulled Isabella behind a house.

"Shhh," the boy whispered, urgently. "Look."

He pointed across the street. Isabella poked her head out to see what Phineas was pointing at, and gasped. Phineas was pointing at none other than himself, crossing the street and ringing the doorbell to the Garcia-Shapiro residence.

"You did not..."

"Yes," Phineas replied. "Yes I did. This is the day that I built the dream machine. You know, before I..."

Phineas couldn't bring himself to mention the green beam of light that had caused her so much pain, and Isabella was glad he didn't.

"So what do we do now?" the Fireside Girl asked.

"We ask for help," responded Phineas, boldly walking up to the fence gate.

* * *

Ferb was well aware that Phineas had gone over to Isabella's house. After all, last night it was he who pushed him over the edge, who gave Phineas the extra nudge he needed to cross the line between obliviousness and love. But he got there in the end, and that was what mattered.

Still, it surprised Ferb to see Phineas back so soon, with Isabella right behind him. Only moments ago did he knock on Isabella's door. Despite their uncanny ability to do the impossible, the fact that it took only moments for Phineas and Isabella to do everything they needed to do seemed a bit over the edge. The boy in question was Phineas, for crying out loud. The pinnacle of romantic obliviousness.

"Hey Ferb!" the boy called. "I know what we're going to do today!"  
Before Ferb could act, though, the fence gate was opened again.

"Whatcha-"

Isabella whirled around to find Buford dragging Baljeet into the backyard. The bully, clearly, had been about to steal her catchphrase, but stopped upon seeing the girl in the backyard.

"Don't. You. Dare." Isabella said, staring Buford down.

Buford's eyes widened. "But you were..." he pointed to Isabella's house.

"And then..." he pointed back to Isabella.

"How did..." he pointed to Isabella's house again, then back at Isabella.

Then the bully seemed to notice Phineas.

"You too!" he screamed, pointing at the boy.

"You just..." he pointed, yet again, to Isabella's house.

"But now..." he pointed back at Phineas.

"I don't..." letting go of Baljeet, Buford threw his two hands up in defeat, perplexed by what he just saw.

"Let me guess," Phineas said. "You saw Isabella let me into her house, and thought that the coast was clear, so you decided to walk into my backyard and steal her catchphrase."

Buford could only nod, his jaw hanging.

"What happened?" asked Baljeet, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Long story short, Isabella and I are from the future, and we need your help," explained Phineas.

Baljeet opened his mouth to ask a follow up question, but stopped before he could utter any words.

"What?"

"Look, you probably won't understand for a while, and I'm not going to try and help you understand," Phineas continued. "But believe me when I say we need your help. Please, trust me on this."

Before anyone could give Phineas their answer, Buford asked the question on his mind.

"So, if you two are from the future, then what's happening..." he gestured awkwardly again towards Isabella's house.

Isabella (from the future) answered the question with the biggest smile on her face.

"I'm getting a boyfriend!"

Again, everyone was left speechless (Ferb was not shocked by the news, knowing what happened last night, but nonetheless he didn't talk).

Buford still didn't fully grasp the situation.

"So you two are-"

"Together?" Phineas finished Buford's question for him. "Yes. Yes we are. But that's not important right now. What's important is that we need your help."

"With what?" Baljeet asked.

Phineas hesitated for a moment, as he realized that he was actually unsure as of how to progress from here. But only for a moment.

"Let's make a suitcase, like you suggested," he responded, looking at Baljeet.

"I never said anything about a suitcase," the nerd protested.

"Not yet," answered Phineas, adding a mysterious tone to the situation.

Ferb sighed, knowing Baljeet would just keep up this mindless argument forever, if given the opportunity. So he decided to do what he could to end the argument before it began.

"How can we help?" the Brit added.

Phineas turned his attention to his stepbrother.

"Well," he began, as his ears picked up a familiar tune.

_There's a hundred and four days of summer vacation  
But bad luck will pop up and end it  
So the annual problem for our generation  
Is finding a good way to spend it_

At this moment, Isabella sprung to her feet. "Like maybe," she yelled, before Phineas continued singing.

_Building a cell phone that teleports you to other  
People with the same device  
Remote controlled baseballs or alien spaceships  
For saving the world at least twice_

_Robotic boxing gloves, bulletproof bodysuits  
Or shoes that can cause extreme pain  
Working with those you love, or singing to a tune  
That drives all the bad guys insane_

_This could possibly be the best day ever  
And the chances are that the rest of the week ain't gonna get a whole lot better  
So make every minute count, jump up, jump in and seize the day  
And let's make sure that in every single possible way  
Today is gonna be a great day_

_Ninja costumes that make anyone who wears one  
Invisible to other men  
But don't expect guns or alcohol or drugs  
'Cause after all we're only ten_

_Traps that fit in your hand, wings to fly like the Beak  
Or lasers that shoot you to Mars  
And when we've saved our land, at the end of the week  
We'll wail away on guitars_

On that last line, Ferb added his own words, saying, "Oh, man!" as he realized the full extent of what he would have to build today. But the song played on, and with it, Phineas' singing.

_This could possibly be the best day ever  
And the chances are that the rest of the week ain't gonna get a whole lot better  
So make every minute count, jump up, jump in, and seize the day  
And let's make sure that in every single possible way  
Today is gonna be a great day_

To keep with the song, Phineas stopped singing, and started yelling, "Hey!" over and over again. When the time came to resume singing, however, Isabella took the lead role.

_Let's put our heads together and design a master plan  
We may miss dinner but I know mom will understand_

_We've got our mission and some pliers  
Past inventions and desire  
And a pocket full of rubber bands  
The manual on handstands_

_A unicycle, compass  
And a camera that won't focus  
And a canteen full of soda  
Grab a beach towel, here we go!_

Phineas laughed, and threw his head back. "This is Ferb-tastic!" he screamed, for it was, indeed, the best day ever. So he jumped back into the song.

_This could possibly be the best day ever  
And the chances are that the rest of the week ain't gonna get a whole lot better  
So make every minute count, jump up, jump in, and seize the day  
And let's make sure that in every single possible way_

All of a sudden, Phineas stood up, straight and serious. Looking at Ferb, Buford, and Baljeet, he said, "Seriously, this is gonna be great," in a tone that didn't match his current look at all, but was actually much brighter and carefree. The redheaded boy then laughed again, and finished the song.

_This could possibly be the best day ever...  
Today is gonna be a great day  
This could possibly be the best day ever...  
Today is gonna be a great day!_

* * *

Luckily, the scream from next door didn't interrupt the song. But it was heard loud and clear nonetheless.

Immediately, Ferb, Baljeet, and Buford hopped to their feet and rushed to the fence gate, worried for their friends over there.

"Don't worry," said Isabella, waving her friends back over. "That's just me. Phineas just said that he loves me."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and sat back down to continue working on the project at hand.

"But that reminds me," added Isabella, digging through her pockets and pulling out the bracelet. "This is yours."

And she handed the bracelet back to Phineas, who took it eagerly in one hand and pulled it onto his wrist.

"What is that?" asked Baljeet.

"Doesn't matter right now," replied Phineas, nodding to Isabella in a _thank you_ gesture as he spoke.

"It's a future thing."

"Follow up question," continued the nerd. "How far into the future are you two from?"

"Just a few days," the triangle-headed boy answered again. "But for you, the future starts in only a few minutes.

Only now did Phineas seem to realize what time it was.

"Tell you what," he said, facing Ferb, Buford, and Baljeet. "Meet Isabella and I under the Eiffel Tower at lunchtime."

He then turned to face Isabella. "We've gotta go now," he said. "I don't want us seeing us."

Quickly, he grabbed Isabella's hand and pulled her behind the house.

"Remember," he told the other boys as he was making his escape. "Don't tell them that we were here."

And he ran behind the house, leaving behind three perplexed boys, just as the fence gate was pushed open, and Phineas and Isabella (from the past) walked through it.

* * *

The first thing Isabella did when she got the chance to talk was ask Phineas about his actions.

"Why don't you want our past selves to know about us?"

"I don't want them asking how our relationship turns out," replied Phineas, focusing his attention on the half-finished gadgets he had taken with him.

"Why not?" Isabella asked again.

"I'm a horrible liar," answered Phineas. "I don't want to have to tell them about the future."

"Well, why don't we try and change it?" Isabella asked, realizing what she had the opportunity to do here.

Phineas looked up at Isabella. "Do you remember what happened when Candace did that?" he asked. "I want to interfere with the past as little as possible, alright?"

Isabella nodded. She understood where Phineas was coming from, and why he didn't want to risk not losing his memories.

"Besides," the redhead continued. "It's obvious we already made these suitcases and gave them to our friends."

He went back to his work, and with it, a more serious attitude overcame him.

"Come on," he said, motioning for Isabella to help him. "We've got work to do."

* * *

**Yeah, that last part could be improved somewhat. But I was feeling nice, and didn't want to leave you guys with a cliffhanger. And hey, did this chapter fill in the last of those gaps? Good. All that needs to happen now is the final battle (or is it? You never know, there could be another twist - there's always time). And the song I chose for this chapter - can I just say that personally, it's one of my top three that I've adapted specifically for this story? The other two are... I'd tell you, but they haven't been posted yet. Oh, and can you help me out and review? The more reviews I get, the more inspired I am to write this story... and the better chapters end up being. That's how it works. So please, read and review.**


	18. Back To The Future

**Yeah, I'm cutting it close. Sunday night (in my time zone). But not to worry, I was feeling generous. The result? No cliffhanger (even though you'll still be begging for the next chapter). The downside? No song. I couldn't find an appropriate one. The neutral side? My lack of ownership over Phineas and Ferb. Good luck (if that makes any sense)!**

* * *

**Phineas' POV:**

It's funny how things can change in the blink of an eye. It's even funnier how often things did in the past few days.

One moment, I'm riding a Ferris wheel, and the next, I'm Isabella's boyfriend.

One moment, I'm Isabella's boyfriend, and the next, I don't even know her name.

One moment, I'm trying to remember Isabella's name, and the next, I'm trying to save her life.

One moment, I'm rescuing Isabella, and the next, I need to be rescued myself.

One moment, I'm being rescued by my alternate self, and the next, they, too, are captured.

One moment, everything seems hopeless, and the next, my memories return.

One moment, we're trapped in an evil scientist's apartment, and the next, we're running from our evil clones.

One moment, we're running from our evil clones, and the next, Isabella and I are walking into my backyard.

One moment, we're walking into my backyard, and the next, we're building some weapons to save ourselves.

Now, I look to our backyard again, where one moment, my past self is putting on a helmet, and the next, the backyard is turning into Paris.

How many other things will change in the blink of an eye?

I looked back to my handiwork. Remote-controlled baseballs, check. Robotic boxing gloves, check. Bulletproof bodysuits, check. Basically everything we'll need to defeat Doofenshmirtz. I hope. These - weapons, I'll call them - should make us at least equal to our evil clones, if not better. I hope.

But I've noticed a pattern in the last few days. Just when things look like they're going to get better, they don't. Just when everything was going so well, something comes along and ruins it.

It started when I recreated Paris for Isabella. For a moment there, everything looked like it would be perfect. Then I got hit with that ray of light.

It happened again, when Ferb and Isabella were trying to help me that day, before everyone got kidnapped.

And again, when we tried to rescue them.

And again, when the second dimension tried to rescue us.

Every single time, things would appear to get better. But it would soon prove to be nothing more than an illusion, as things would get worse again. I'm worried it will happen here - things definitely appear to he getting better. The question remains whether or not they will.

I put the finishing touch on the suitcase - a four-letter passcode lock - and click the suitcase closed.

Then I turn around, where Isabella just finished building a different machine.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Ready," she confirms.

I grab the gun-like device in my hand, set the dial to 35, and zapped the pocket-sized suitcase.

The moment the green ray hits the suitcase, it disappears. Then, on a separate machine, a computerized voice says, "loading."

A few minutes later, a small door opens up on the side of that contraption, and thirty-five suitcases, all of which should be exact replicas of what I just made, right down to the weapons inside, pop out.

I pick up the suitcases and put them in a sack. Then I turn to Isabella.

"Let's go."

She nods, and together, we walk into virtual Paris. Again.

* * *

**No POV:**

So Phineas and Isabella were strolling through the City of Love again, although this time, having a good time together was not their top priority. The first thing they did was head directly for the Eiffel Tower, where Phineas had told Ferb, Buford, and Baljeet to meet them.

When they arrived, the other three were already waiting for them.

"Here you go," said Phineas, reaching into the sack and handing a miniature suitcase to Buford, Baljeet, and Ferb.

"Make sure that you never lose it," the boy added. "It's really important."

"What does it do?" Buford asked.

"It's going to save your life."

"But my life does not need saving," complained Baljeet.

"It will," said Phineas, cryptically. "Sooner than you think."

"How soon?"

Phineas hesitated.

"In about a minute," he finally said, flinching at the memory. "Your lives will take a turn for the worse. And they will only get worse. It is in your darkest hour that this suitcase will click open. It is in your darkest hour that Isabella will unlock all the suitcases by the click of a button. I can only hope that you have the suitcase on you in your darkest hour, because it is then that you must look for the light."

Ferb, Baljeet, and Buford were left speechless. That was a horrific speech delivered by Phineas.

"We must go now," said Phineas, pushing open the fence gate. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."

"What trouble?" asked Buford, confused.

Phineas looked up and saw the ray of light that had been the start of all their troubles.

"I'm sorry," he said.

And he walked out the fence gate with Isabella.

* * *

The walk back to the museum carried with it an ominous mood, and why wouldn't it? Here they were, walking slowly, dreadfully, to the museum, the time machine, the war. Phineas and Isabella were two kids, going to confront an army. And their only asset was a locked, pocket-sized suitcase. Of course there would be an ominous, dreadful aura around them.

"Phineas?" Isabella said, looking hopefully, worriedly, at him. "I'm scared."

"It's okay," said Phineas. "I am, too."

"I don't know if I can handle it," admitted Isabella, taking Phineas' hand in hers, for support.

Isabella was glad when Phineas squeezed her hand back. The gesture wasn't just one of support, but it reminded Isabella that he loved her, even if his mind was set to another task.

"It's okay," he said again. "We're like heroes - doing what we must."

Isabella smiled at the memory. That day - when Ironman, Thor, Hulk, and Spider-Man had arrived at their door - was one of Phineas' best moments.

After another few minutes of silence, Phineas and Isabella found themselves in front of the time machine again.

"Are you ready?" Phineas asked, looking at Isabella. His eyes, much like hers, were full of worry, nervousness, and fright.

Isabella had been trying to suppress the full extent of her feelings. But she knew she needed to let it all out again. This was the perfect opportunity, just before they confronted an army of - well, themselves.

In a sudden movement, she threw her arms around Phineas.

"Help me," she said desperately, her voice cracking as she spoke. "Protect me."

"I will," replied Phineas, as bravely as he could manage. "I will."

Slowly, hesitantly, Isabella took her seat in the time machine next to Phineas. Whether or not he intended it, Isabella heard romance in those words. Another reminder that she could safely call herself Phineas' girlfriend now. It was that thought, that knowledge, that truly comforted Isabella.

"I'm ready," she said.

Phineas pushed the lever, and, with a whiz and a spark, the time machine went back to the future, where Phineas and Isabella came from.

* * *

Naturally, the evil Jeremy-2 was waiting for them when they arrived.

"I've got you now," he said, the moment the time machine appeared.

Only Isabella could be seen in it. But that didn't bother Jeremy - it was the girl he was chasing, the girl he wanted.

He lunged for her, only to get whacked in the face with a baseball, and get sent flying into the far wall.

Phineas materialized next to Isabella.

"Nobody touches her," he promised, his eyes filled with the rage, the wisdom, and the power of a true hero.

Isabella smiled again, as Phineas pointed a laser at Jeremy-2.

"Enjoy Mars," he said, as the blast hit Jeremy-2, and the evil clone vaporized, destined to reappear on the red planet.

"Wow," Isabella commented. "Nice weapons."

"Oh, there's a bucketload of them in every suitcase," Phineas replied, suddenly confident from his victory over Jeremy-2. It hadn't even been much of a contest.

"Yeah, what is the password to that?" asked Isabella, closely studying the four-letter passcode lock on her suitcase.

"Something that there's never enough of in this world," he answered. "yet it is what bonds people like you and me together. It is, patient, kind, and all-conquering, but it is as simple as a kind word, or a friendly gesture."

"What?" Isabella asked, confused by all of Phineas' hints. Yet she felt the answer was staring her right in the face.

Her suspicions were confirmed, as Phineas spoke the one word that would unlock the suitcase.

"Love."

* * *

**Okay, that part at the end is actually something St. Paul wrote in one of his letters. It reads something like this: Love is patient. Love is kind. Love conquers all. et cetera. Besides, it was the perfect password. On a separate note (I have a whole octave of them - sorry, bad pun), some of you may argue that I did not hold true to my word, and that the ending is a cliffhanger. While I admit that you have plausible reason to believe that, know that it could have been worse. (Phineas pushed the lever, and, with a whiz and a spark, the time machine went back to the future, where Phineas and Isabella came from. Only to find the evil Jeremy-2 waiting for them.) See? You can thank me later. For now, reading and reviewing will suffice.**


	19. Unlocked

**You know that epic movie voice that's in all the trailers? Have you ever tried imitating it? I thought so. Try reading some parts out loud in that voice. Depending on what you read, it can be hilarious or just plain awesome. For example: Our heroes return on the evening of the fifth day. But what happened to everyone else during their absence?**

**Okay. Wow. That was random. I... Uhh... Umm... I don't own Phineas and Ferb.**

* * *

**No POV:**  
Ferb had had enough. For the last hour or so, he had been running with his other-dimension counterpart from, believe it or not, their evil cones. As crazy as it may sound (and believe me, it still didn't make much sense to any of the four Ferbs here), it was true. It was actually happening. As crazy as it may sound, Ferb and Ferb were trying to escape Ferb and Ferb.

Unfortunately, Ferb and Ferb were losing. By Ferb, I mean the good Ferb who has partaken in some of the most incredible things ever. And by Ferb, I mean Ferb-2, a kid who was recently saved by Ferb, and since then, had attempted (and failed) to return the favor.

The chase was quickly drawing to a close. Ferb and Ferb-2 pulled every trick in the book, trying to escape their evil clones, but had failed. It was a matter of seconds now before their artificially-made selves got the better of them.

As he was making his last stand, Ferb had one thought flying through his mind. _Is this my darkest hour?_ Believe me, the Brit remembered extremely well what Phineas told him. Was it really only three days ago he said that? Because it felt like forever.

_Is this my darkest hour?_

The question had flown through Ferb's brain many, many times since then. But it had only ever gotten worse. Ferb was starting to wonder if his darkest hour ever would come.

And then he reached another low point. He tripped on a rock, and fell to the ground. Ferb-2 (the one on his side) fell over him. The chase was over. Silently, for the four Ferbs had a habit of not talking, the evil Ferb and Ferb-2 approached the ones who had just fallen, until they were standing right over them. After another few seconds, to add to dramatic effect, one of the evil Ferbs pulled out a bow staff, and raised it over Ferb's head.

_Is this my darkest hour?_ the Brit asked himself again. Quickly analyzing the situation, he determined that the oncoming blow, in all likelihood, would _not_ kill him, and therefore, this was _not_ his darkest hour. After all, that appeared to be the pattern of late.

He was proven wrong when a spearhead protruded from the tip of the staff.

"Goodbye, old chap," the evil Ferb said.

And then the world slowed down.

The suitcase in Ferb's pocket shifted. Once... twice... then it popped open.

Immediately, an arsenal of weapons flew out of the suitcase, automatically equipping themselves to Ferb. In the next millisecond, the green-haired boy had rolled out of the way, and the spear lodged itself in the ground where he was.

The chase was over, but the battle had only just begun.

* * *

Somehow, Baljeet made his way back to Doofenshmirtz's penthouse while running from the evil Stacey.

"Aiee!" he screamed, bursting through the door. "Somebody help me!"

It was only then that he realized where he was, and that Meap was singlehandedly taking on five enemies. And that his alien friend was losing.

When he did realize this, he only screamed again.

"Why is this world so cruel?"

Firing another desperate rainbow laser, Meap jumped out of the commotion. But only for a second, as Stacey fired one of those jet streams, sending him crashing into the far wall, where he got jumped on again. When the dust cleared, Meap was pinned down by Doofenshmirtz and his alternate self, and Suzy was hovering menacingly over the little alien.

"Bubbles!" she said enthusiastically. But everyone could see the rage in her eyes.

Enough was enough. "No!" Baljeet screamed, causing him to gain the attention of the other three evil doppelgängers who weren't doing anything.

Buford-2, Baljeet-2, and Stacey, all very much evil, now focused their attention on Baljeet. Noticing that they had him cornered, they started advancing upon him, very slowly. They all armed themselves with a different, deadly weapon, and each one the nerd saw laid eyes on only looked more lethal than the last.

Baljeet always figured his life would end peacefully. He never would have guessed it to be like this. Not even Buford would intentionally hurt him this bad. But here he was, helpless, left at the mercy of Buford-2, Baljeet-2, and Stacey. The situation was hopeless.

But a sudden jerk in his pocket drew the attention of the nerd. Again, that thing moved. And a third time. Baljeet reached into his pocket to see what it was, and at the same time as he pulled it out, the suitcase opened, its contents immediately fully arming him.

Still, it wasn't until the enemy tried, and failed, to hit him that Baljeet regained any confidence.

* * *

Buford never thought he'd be running from something smaller than him. The things he was scared of were all massive. But, as funny as it may sound, Buford was being chased by a chihuahua. A dog of war.

Another thing that Buford couldn't believe was that he'd lasted so long. Really, it was hard for him to imagine successfully avoiding a chihuahua - its smell, its speed, its secret agent gadgets - for an hour. At least.

Actually, there was only one reason Buford was still alive. Candace-2. If it weren't for her, the chihuahua would have been on him ages ago. It was her who kept rounding corners, helping Buford onto rooftops, or grabbing the dog and throwing it.

_I am so in love with her right now_, Buford thought, on more than one occasion. Not because he actually had a crush on her, but because of her bully-like attitude.

"A woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do," she'd said once, after throwing the dog into an alleyway.

But Pinky - what other dog would be pursuing them with high-tech gadgets? Pinky was persistent, and Candace-2, as resilient as she may be, could not hold the chihuahua off forever. It was only a matter of time.

Slowly, the sun fell in the sky. Slowly, Buford and Candace-2 ran out of energy. And with each attempt, Pinky got closer and closer to successfully apprehending the two. For them, the final chapter of this adventure was slowly drawing to a close.

It was then that Buford wondered if he would ever have another adventure. See another sunrise. Live another day. It was difficult, indeed, to see how it would happen.

At least, until the suitcase in his pocket moved.

Once, twice, its position shifted. Buford noticed he sudden jerking, and pulled out the suitcase just as it clicked open. An assortment of items threw themselves around him just as Pinky tackled him, and he was sent sprawling across the floor.

But the bully recovered quickly, and rolled to the side in order to avoid Pinky's follow-up pounce. He then stood up, and pulled out a bow staff.

"My turn," he said, turning to Candace-2.

* * *

Isabella stood there, admiring her new look. After all, the items in the suitcase, now that it was open, were all on her body. There was a mask that slipped around your face that Phineas said would make you invisible if you so desired. The shirt and pants, Phineas claimed, were almost indestructible. The shoes and gloves should be able to attach to any surface, so that you could walk up walls. In addition to that, a plethora of weapons - from a bow staff to a laser like the one Phineas shot Jeremy-2 with - were also placed in strategic locations around Isabella's body.

All in all, she, like Phineas, was covered head to toe in a black suit and black weapons. But Phineas, being Phineas, somehow found a way for it to look good on people, in a way that made Isabella think of Vanessa.

"Wow," she said, pleased with her new look. "Nice job, Phineas!"

"Thanks," the boy replied. "I try. Now, when you typed in the passcode, Ferb's, Buford's, and Baljeet's suitcases should have unlocked, so they'll be fine. Right now we just have to find and arm everyone else."

So the two ran out of the museum, looking for their friends so they could save the world.

The first one they found was Phineas-2. They practically ran into him, actually - he was waiting right outside the museum.

"Friend or foe!" Phineas yelled, on instinct more than anything else. After all, the Phineas-2 in front of them wasn't wearing any armor of any kind.

"Friend!" Phineas-2 screamed back. "I'm a friend! Now, give me some suitcases so I can go save other people."

Phineas reached into the bag and pulled out a suitcase, but hesitated right before he gave it to his alternate-dimension counterpart.

"Wait a minute," he said, noticing something. "How did you know I had suitcases?"

"I... ahh... umm... uhh... you know, Baljeet asked about them. Remember?"

Still, Phineas-2 got no suitcase from Phineas. Instead, Phineas asked, "Are you good or are you the evil clone?"

"I'm good!" Phineas-2 replied instantly, his eyes wide and hands in the air. "Look!" he continued, desperate to convince Phineas. "No weapons!"

He pat himself down hurriedly, to prove his point.

"Alright," Phineas said, still extremely suspicious of Phineas-2. "Clearly I'm not going to get an honest answer the easy way. So there are supposed to be two of you, right? One's good, and one's evil."

Phineas-2 nodded vigorously.

"Right," Phineas said. "Now then, what would your alternate self - the other you from your dimension - say you are - good or evil?"

"Good!" Phineas-2 responded, without missing a beat.

Phineas smiled. "Thanks for clearing that up."

But no sooner did Phineas-2 try to take the suitcase out of Phineas's hand than Phineas pulled on his arm, and flipped his alternate-dimension self so that he lay sprawled out across the ground. Grabbing the bow staff from his back, Phineas knocked the other boy out with a quick blow to the head.

"Why did you do that?!" Isabella screamed, shocked at what had just happened.

"He wasn't on our side," Phineas explained, pulling an electronic magnet out of Phineas-2's pocket. He turned it on, and a bunch of parts went flying off of Phineas-2's body, attaching themselves to the magnet.

"See?" Phineas said, showing the magnet to Isabella.

"Oh," answered Isabella, realizing that Phineas was right. Then she asked, "So what do we do next?"

Phineas smiled. "We sing, of course."

_I used to get stuck on the simplest of things  
I never tried flying or spreading my wings  
What I want to convey  
Is that I'm seizing the day  
'Cause tonight I'm turning tides!  
...He's turning tides..._

_I went from park to neutral, now I'm shifting to drive  
It'll take us some effort just to keep us alive  
No more biding my time  
With these eternal rhymes  
'Cause tonight I'm turning tides!_

_I'm turning tides  
Stopping things that were holding me back  
I'm turning tides  
Fixing all which has gotten off track  
I'm turning tides  
In the end that's the ultimate ride  
When your doom's closing in  
You know it's time to begin  
Turning tides!_

With that song fresh in their heads, and the sun setting at the end of this long day, Phineas and Isabella ventured out into the Tri-State Area, to find their friends and save the Tri-State Area.

* * *

**Ta-ta! It all leads up to this. Who will win? Good? Or evil? Of course, according to recent statistics it's almost... always... good. Thank you Heinz Doofenshmirtz for that quote (from Minor Monogram, if you're wondering). Of course, You don't know if I'm telling the truth or not. Will good really win? Or will there be another twist? You never know. Unless you're me. Cheerio! Read and review!**


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